The Olympic cauldron lit in Marseille

The first cauldron of the Paris Olympic Games was lit on Wednesday in Marseille by Jul, French rap star, in front of a crowd in the Old Port of France’s second city.

In a charged atmosphere, the Marseille artist received the torch from the hands of Paralympic athletics champion Nantenin Keita, daughter of Malian musician Salif Keita, who herself received it from Florent Manaudou, Olympic 50m swimming champion free in 2012 in London, the first bearer of the flame on French soil after his descent from the three-masted Belem.

Paris 2024 has chosen two Olympic and Paralympic athletes for the arrival of the flame in Marseille. This first handover on French soil symbolizes the ambition of rapprochement and unity of the Olympic Games (July 26-August 11, 2024) and Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8)underlined the organizing committee.

The Olympic flame made its majestic entrance on Wednesday evening aboard the three-masted Belem, after a grandiose maritime parade.

The Belem, which left Greece 12 days ago, reached the port of Marseille, this Lacydon cove where the Greeks founded Massalia 2,600 years ago, and where 150,000 people awaited it.

In the presence of President Emmanuel Macron, received by a few whistles, Belem was welcomed by a Marseillaisewith a fireworks display biodegradable recycled confettiby the flight over the planes of the French patrol, which drew the Olympic rings in the sky, and by the essential tifosthese impressive banners of the supporters of the aptly named Olympique de Marseille.

On the wall of Fort Saint-Jean, the most gigantic banner, 150 meters long, signed MASSALIA, honored the Greek origins of the Phocaean city, with the face of Gyptis, this young woman from a local tribe who is said to have fallen lover Protis, Greek sailor who landed in 600 BC. AD

The arrival of the flame in Marseille is very symbolic. This Phocaean city founded by the Greeks is a symbol of our friendshipthe Greek ambassador to France, Dimitrios Zevelakis, testified to AFP during the day, recalling that since Antiquity the Games were a chance for peace.

Departing from the north of the city, with an escort of a thousand ships, the Belem had previously sailed all day facing the city to the south, from Estaque to Goudes, notably via the Catalans and Prado beaches. .

The arrival of the flame did not only make people happy on Wednesday. A thousand people demonstrated to denounce Rich people’s Olympicswith serious environmental consequences, and call for the exclusion of Israel from the Games, as had been the apartheid regime of South Africa.