The Olympic Flame begins its journey to Paris

The Olympic Flame begins its journey to Paris

by Philip Barker at the Stadium in Ancient Olympia

Greek rowing gold medallist Stefanos Ntouskos began the Torch Relay for Paris 2024 at the historic stadium here in Ancient Olympia, but the Flame he carried was one lit in the rehearsal.

On the day, grey skies had made it impossible to kindle from the rays of the sun and  forced the use of a reserve Flame.

“It doesn’t matter for us, we had a fantastic celebration today, again the power of the symbols were very present” Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet insisted.

“It also shows good reactivity of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, whatever the situation we will be ready to celebrate the Games.”

It was the first time that a reserve Flame had been used for the Summer Games since Sydney 2000.

There was a similar problem when the Flame was lit for the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble.

Earlier International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach had told a large crowd,

“In these difficult times we are living through, with wars and conflicts on the rise, people are fed up with all the hate, the aggression and negative news they are facing day in and day out. In their hearts, in all our hearts – we are longing for something which brings us together. We are longing for something that is unifying. We are longing for something that gives us hope.”

Ntouskos was visibly moved as he took the Flame.

“I felt like wanted to cry from the emotion of it all, some people will not understand

what I felt,” he said.

“It was something special, something unique, it was like you had the world with you.”

Ntouskos carried the Flame from the Ancient Stadium to the monument which pays tribute to Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

The first French runner was Laure Manaudou who won 400 metres freestyle gold at the Athens 2004 Games.

“I have great feelings for this country after what happened in 2004. I had a lot of emotion,” said Manaudou who received the Flame immediately after the visit to the monument.

“For me it was very important, there are lots of things that are very spiritual, he [de Coubertin] was so important to French sport.”

Among the spectators watching the ceremony were members of the crew of the sailing ship Belem which is to convey the Flame to Marseille later this month.

The Flame is set to spend 11 days on Greek soil, the longest of any Games with the exception of Athens 2004.

On the first day, it visited Ancient Elis, the hometown of Coroebus, the first recorded Olympic Champion in the Games of antiquity.