Reuters
French canoeist Tony Estanguet holds the Olympic flame all through its retirement rite from Greece for the 2024 Paris Video games, within the port of Piraeus, Greece, April 27.
The Olympic flame for Paris 2024 started its travel from Greece’s Piraeus port to France on Saturday on board the French send Belem.
The 3-masted send all set sail from Greece’s greatest port 90 days ahead of the outlet rite of the Video games on July 26.
It used to be the primary presen within the historical past of the Video games that the Olympic Flame has been transported through sea.
Belem, introduced in 1896, the similar era the primary trendy Olympics used to be hosted in Athens, carries the flame in a lantern.
Next crossing the Mediterranean, it’s scheduled to succeed in the port of Marseille on Would possibly 8 to kickstart the second one leg of the torch relay.
The Greek leg of the torch relay began on April 16 from Historic Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympics 2,800 years in the past, the place the flame used to be ignited after to the stadium the place historic athletes competed.
In an respectable lend rite hung on Friday at Panathenaic stadium, the venue of the 1896 Video games, Tony Estanguet, president of the organizing committee of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Video games, won the flame.
“We are looking forward to welcoming the world,” Estanguet mentioned on Saturday in a while ahead of sporting the flame on board Belem.
The 2024 Olympic Video games, hosted through France a century nearest the primary presen the rustic hosted the Olympics, will playground an emphasis on sustainability and gender equality, he mentioned.
The Video games will finish on August 11, to be adopted through the Paralympics, however nearest the curtain falls, Parisians can have a blank river Seine to revel in and fresh amenities, he informed Xinhua of the Paris Olympics’ legacy.
As well as, French organizers are keen that the Olympics will encourage and assistance “engage more youth in sport,” he mentioned.
Estanguet additionally despatched a message for the Olympic Truce. “Athletes are the best ambassadors of peace,” he mentioned.
“The Olympic flame is a symbol of the Olympism, carrying the values of peace and unity,” French Minister for Recreation and the Olympic and Paralympic Video games Amelie Oudea-Castera informed Xinhua on Saturday in entrance of Belem.
Olympias, a reconstruction of an historic Athenian trireme (three-rower) vessel, escorted Belem and the flame to the proceed of Piraeus port, as spectators waving French flags wanted just right seas and easiest luck to the Paris Video games.
