The Olympic torch will be lit in the Tuileries Garden in front of the Louvre Museum during the Paris Olympics in July and August, a source said.
Sources involved in the talks told AFP on condition of anonymity that the decision to place the torch in a tourist hotspot in the center of the city was made “several weeks ago”.
Sources say Tuileries emerged as the first choice due to its ease of access by the public.
Sources said there was speculation that the torch might be placed on the Eiffel Tower, while organizers also considered placing it in the courtyard of the Louvre, the world’s largest museum.
The Tuileries ‘is an area that can easily be secured.’
Sources added that there will be 24-hour security forces to guard the torch and the general public will be able to see it thanks to the raised footpaths around the garden.
The lighting of the torch is an important moment during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which marks the official start of the world’s fair of sports.
It is unclear whether it will be cremated inside the Tuileries or moved there following the July 26 opening ceremony, which is scheduled to take place on boats along the nearby Seine River.
The identity of the person who will light the torch is yet to be known while details regarding the opening ceremony – which will take place outside the athletics stadium for the first time – remain a closely guarded secret.
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Organizers have vowed to make the first Paris Olympics in 100 years ‘iconic’.
symbolic space
“We will not confirm or deny the news that is circulating,” the Paris organizing committee told AFP in a statement. There are already many rumors regarding its location.’
The statement added that the organizers want it to be placed as a symbol in the center of Paris so that it can be seen by all.
The Paris Games will be held at venues around the capital, including the Eiffel Tower’s temporary stadium and the Place de la Concorde, which borders the Tuileries Gardens.
The park was designed in 1664 at the behest of the so-called ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV and is closely associated with the French royal family as well as the anti-monarchist revolution of 1789.
The torch relay for Paris 2024 will begin on April 16 when a torch will be launched from Olympia, Greece, before being carried by sea to Marseille.
The torch will then travel 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) across mainland and overseas French territories in the Caribbean, Indian and Pacific Oceans, passing through 400 French towns and dozens of tourist destinations.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka lights a hydrogen-powered torch inside an empty central athletics stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. Another was placed near Tokyo.
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2024-07-08 00:26:12