The traditional Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris was performed in Greece’s Olympia, with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, President of the Greek National Olympic Committee Spyros Capralos, and various other dignitaries in attendance.
This year, unlike during the previous ceremonies, the Olympic torch was not lit using a parabolic mirror and sun rays, due to unfavorable weather conditions. Instead, the flame was kindled on Monday during a rehearsal of the ceremony, and was ignited in front of the Temple of Hera by a famous Greek actress, donning the attire of an ancient Greek High Priestess.
As per the statement released by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the 2024 Olympic flame will now commence an 11-day relay across Greece. This relay will involve over 550 torchbearers who will carry the flame, culminating in the handover ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium, the final destination.
Stefanos Ntouskos, a Greek Olympic medalist in rowing, successfully completed the initial stage of the Olympic torch relay. Following his remarkable run, he handed over the flame to the next torchbearer in the relay, Laure Manaudou of France, a distinguished three-time Olympic medalist.
After the traditional relay across Greece, the torch is scheduled to be brought back to Athens, Greece on April 26, where it will be ceremoniously handed over to the hosts of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
The capital of France, Paris, will be hosting the 2024 Summer Olympic Games from July 26 to August 11.
The event will bring together 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) representing nations worldwide, and the games are set to be the largest event ever organized in France.
After the handover ceremony, the Olympic flame will stay overnight at the Embassy of France in Athens, and will be transferred next day to the Belem, a renowned three-masted tall ship that was initially launched in 1896. The ship will then set sail for Marseille, France, where it is expected to arrive amidst much celebration on May 8.
Ancient Greeks have established the tradition of lighting the Olympic flame, which serves as a symbolic reminder of the mythological tale of titan Prometheus. According to the legend, Prometheus stole fire from the Gods and bestowed it upon humanity as a precious gift.
This age-old ritual was reintroduced during the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, where the Olympic flame was initially ignited at the main stadium. Subsequently, in 1936, prior to the Berlin Olympic Games, a torch relay was organized for the first time in modern history.
(eTN): 2024 Olympic Flame Begins Its Journey from Olympia to Paris | re-post license | post content
