The Olympic Flame will be transported from the port of Piraeus to Marseilles on the 130-year-old three-masted sailing ship “Belem”. During its journey, the sailboat will be accompanied by a ship of the French navy, while the guarding of the flame on board will be undertaken by French police officers.
According to the French website lemonde.fr, the measures are expected to be draconian as 6,000 police officers will be on foot while the 4,000 boats anchored in the old port of Marseille will be checked for any explosive devices.
Six thousand members of the armed forces will be deployed on May 8 to ensure the arrival of the Olympic flame in Marseille, says Interior Minister Gérald Darmanen at a press conference.
Taking into account the force that will be mobilized by the Municipality of Marseille (Marseille’s fire brigade, security personnel, municipal police…) this size of the mechanism will surpass even that deployed in the second largest city of France in September 2023 for the visit of Pope Francis who was then described as “unusual” and “specialist”.
Clarifying that the Old Port of Marseille will be fully “impenetrable” and secured for the arrival of the blaze, which will arrive with the vessel Belem at around 19:45 (local time) on Wednesday, May 8, the interior minister clarified that they will be mobilized police officers of the special unit Raid (Recherche, Assistance, Intervention, Dissuasion), minesweepers, members of the naval units of the gendarmerie and anti-drones.
Regarding Belem’s entry into Marseilles on May 8, Darmanen clarified that the thousand boats registered to accompany the famous yacht will all be thoroughly checked.
Although at the moment there is “no specific threat” aimed at the arrival of the flame in the Mediterranean city, the minister clarified that the forces of order are working on various scenarios, mainly for “radical Islamism”.
“We will implement everything provided by the anti-terrorist legislation in order to monitor and prevent” any episode, Darmanen added, also speaking of dangers that may come from “the extreme right and the extreme left.”
Finally, in the event that the wind will exceed 25 knots and prevent the return of Belem to the Old Port, Darmanen assured that there is an “alternative”: “However, as the weather is always good in Marseille, I do not imagine that there can be such a case”, he said.
Speaking of our country, the website characterizes as imposing the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic Games of the modern era took place in 1896.
Her article The Parisian as well as hers Liberation they make special mention of the first torch relay on French soil. That will be the Olympic Swimming Champion, Florent Manodou. In fact, the French media report that Florent feels particularly moved as his older sister, world champion and Olympic medalist, Laure Manodou was the first French torchbearer on the route to Ancient Olympia where the flame was lit on April 16.
Finally, her website LeFigaro, makes special mention of the ritual that took place in the Kallimarmaro Stadium, immortalizing the priestesses around the altar with the burning flame. In fact, he characterizes the passage of the Olympic Flame from our country as forced due to our history, while he makes special reference both to the hearing of the National Anthems by Nana Mouschouri and to the statements of the President of the “PARIS 2024” Organizing Committee, Tony Estage.
Ioannis Fountoulis, Olympic water polo medalist, is the final torchbearer for the Greek leg of the Olympic torch relay.
He has the honor of lighting the cauldron of the Panathenaic stadium ️#OlympicTorchRelay | #Paris2024 | @Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/nPQMm9boAz
— Olympic Games (@jeuxolympiques) April 26, 2024
⛸️ @GabriellaPks French Olympic ice dancing champion, begins the last meters of the torch relay in Greece #OlympicTorchRelay | #Paris2024 | @Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/LGzhRiyHUK
— Olympic Games (@jeuxolympiques) April 26, 2024
With an impressive ceremony, Athens handed over the Olympic Flame to Paris. Exciting moments at the Kallimarmaro Stadium.
The emblematic event, presented by the internationally renowned Greek presenter Nikos Aliagas, was dominated by the presence of Nana Mouschouri who performed the National Anthems of Greece and France and the National Symphony Orchestra and Choir of ERT who performed the Olympic Anthem and the work of Dimitris Papadimitriou “Pindar’s Olympian” with tenor Babis Velissarios.
Olympic Games: Impressive dance moves at the start of the event
The show was stolen by the impressive cultural and sports act of Greece from the team “Wolves Team | Gymnastics Club” (Choreography by Olympia Dragouni, with the participation of 60 dancers), in the context of the handover ceremony of the Olympic Flame at the Kallimarmaro Stadium.
A little later, the cultural-sports event of France “Danse des Jeux by Mourad Merzouki” followed, with the participation of 150 students from the Greek-French School.
Olympic Games: The moment when the National Anthems of France and Greece are heard in Kallimarmaro
The Kores vocal ensemble performed the Olympic anthem «CHORES» accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra of ERT.
Then the National Anthem of France was played and we had the raising of the French flag, as well as the National Anthem of Greece and the raising of the Greek flag.
The baton in the ritual was taken by Prioress Mary Mina with the priestesses accompanying her and the Kouroi following her
Immediately following, the entry of the Olympic Flame followed, as did the Torch Relay inside the Stadium.
The Olympic Light arrived at the Panathenaic Stadium with the walking champion Antigoni Drisbiotis. To a standing ovation from the crowd, she handed over the flame to former swimmer Béatrice Hess (France’s most decorated Paralympic champion with 26 medals, including 20 gold) and skater Gabriella Papadakis (gold medalist at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics) ) while the last torchbearer in Kallimarmaro was the captain of the National polo team, Yiannis Fundoulis, together with his teammates, who won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and member of the International Olympic Committee in Greece, Spyros Kapralos, received the flame from Prothieria, Mary Minas, and in turn handed it over to the President of the “PARIS 2024” Organizing Committee, Toni Estage (three-time Olympian in slalom canoe), to continue his journey to Paris.
In his brief greeting, EOE president Spyros Kapralos emphasized that: “Today a unique journey of hope and pride has been completed. During these 11 days, the souls of the Greeks swelled with pride and emotion. Greece and France are connected by a warm friendship of centuries. Bonds and emotions captured in the voice of Nana Mouschouri. The Nana of Greece, the Nana of France, the Nana of the whole world”.
#French #media #journey #Flame
