The festivities linked to the Olympic Games have just started in France! This Wednesday, May 8, 2024, it was in fact organized in Marseille, a grand ceremony to welcome the Olympic Flame.
Straight from Greece, this symbolic flame which never goes out, made its way to France via the Belem, one of the oldest French three-masted ships in seaworthy condition.
For the occasion, several key figures in sport were invited, but also several French artists and several personalities with a strong link with Marseille.
Jul chosen to light the cauldron of the Olympic Flame
If Florent Manaudou was chosen to brandish the Flame upon his arrival, Zinedine Zidane, an emblematic footballer from the Marseille city, was approached to light the famous cauldron; it was ultimately the rapper Jul who had this honor.
Viewers who followed the ceremony broadcast live on television were able to see Florent Manaudou, on board the ship, light the first torch and cross the Old Port aboard the Belem before it docked on the quay. The swimmer then handed over the flame to Paralympic athlete Nantenin Keïta.
Against all odds, Jul, hidden under a hood, then appeared to light the cauldrona gesture which marks the start of the flame’s journey through France to Paris for 79 days.
The rapper then sang a piece of his song “The Fault” just before the planned concert where Soprano set the Old Port on fire in front of more than 150,000 people.
Angry Internet users
Upon discovering that it was the rapper Jul who was chosen to light the cauldron, many Internet users expressed their anger.
” A shame. Florent Manaudou brings back the Olympic flame and it is Jul who is given the floor first. What a representation of France… And then it’s not as if we lacked athletes to carry the Olympic flame” thus launches one of them on X (formerly Twitter).
“The decadence of France in a single photo, Florent Manaudou’s haircut and worst of all Jul dancing with the Olympic flame and lighting the cauldron! » can also be read.
“So it was Jul, a rapper, who lit the flame of athletes instead of Florent Manaudou. France has just suffered the first global shame, magnificent” analyzed another.
