The attachment of the Marseillais for sport in the spotlight
Before being a Games city, Marseille is a city that breathes sport, and in particular football. It is this Marseille passion that the Flame highlighted with its first team of Flame bearers who looked like the Marseille Olympics. Basile Boli, first bearer of the Flame of the day, opened the ball by brandishing the Paris 2024 Torch at the top of the Notre-Dame-de-La-Garde Basilica before passing it on to Colette Cataldo, a fervent 83-year-old supporter. from Olympique de Marseille! A strong moment in symbols and emotions.
As a common theme of the day, legends of Marseille football took turns for a final segment of the exceptional Relay: Jean-Pierre Papin led the way in the emblematic Vélodrome stadium, before Louisa Nécib and Valentin Rongier continued in the stadium enclosure. From the roof of the Vélodrome, Soprano and Jenny Perret, young footballer from Olympique de Marseille, performed a spectacular Torch Kiss. It was Eric Di Meco who finally passed on the Torch to one of the icons of the Marseille public: Didier Drogba, last bearer of the Flame of the day, who lit the cauldron.
Nearly 200 flame bearers meet the people of Marseillais
Other athletes took turns to meet the Marseillais: among them Tony Parker carried the Flame to Vallon des Auffes before handing it over to Nando de Colo, for a moment under the sign of international basketball. Personalities who contribute to the city’s reputation were also among the bearers of the Olympic Flame. The spectators were able to applaud the comedian Redouane Bougheraba at the “MARSEILLE” Letters level, the actress Nicole Ferroni, the presenter Camille Combal, the three-star chef Alexandre Mazzia and even Alonzo, who shared the stage of the Coca- Yesterday’s cola with Soprano.
This day rich in symbolism allowed us to highlight anonymous people with extraordinary stories. Like Barbara, a sailor who is committed to promoting access to sailing for women in Marseille; Louis, former dockworker and the most successful boxing trainer, who notably participated in the launch of the careers of a good number of champions; Clara, French para-swimming champion who works to make the sport accessible to all and Matthieu, youngest of the stage, future French decathlon hopeful who is part of the Marseille firefighters battalion.
A first day of relay to celebrate sport, athletes and culture throughout the city!
An unprecedented collective relay, organized by the State, was held in front of the MUCEM with 27 athletes representing member countries of the European Union and Mariia Vysochanska, Ukrainian gymnast. Among them, athletes and para athletes of all generations like Jean Galfione, French Olympic pole vault champion in 1996; Karolina Pelendritou, the three-time Paralympic champion Cypriot swimmer; Davide Tizzano, the Italian rower twice Olympic champion or Amanda Kotaja, Finnish para athlete who competes in T54 for wheelchair athletes and who was a silver medalist at the Tokyo Games.
On the cultural side, Le Château d’If welcomed for the second consecutive day La Horde for a unique adaptation of the show “Room with the view” performed on the different levels of the castle. A plastic installation by Miguel Chevalier, inspired by marine flows and biodiversity around the Château d’If, was also visible on the island’s lighthouse.
At the celebration site on the Stade du Vélodrome square, the two Official Sponsors of the Torch Relay were there to entertain the Marseillais. Coca-Cola extended the festivities of the day before by offering the public a musical atmosphere, drink tastings, and a photobooth with the Torch of Paris 2024. For Banque Populaire, water sports were in the spotlight with initiations, notably learning marine knots, and awareness sessions on the preservation of aquatic environments. The public was also able to learn about team sports with Caisse d’Epargne: introductions to basketball and handball supervised by coaches from the respective federations were offered on a set-up field. The public will be able to find all these activities every day in the Godfathers village of the celebration site.
The first day of the Relay was also an opportunity to mobilize local businesses. Paris 2024 called on La Table de Cana, an integration company, to provide lunch for the (agile) convoy and ESAT Open de Provence for laundry services.
At the end of this day full of emotions, the Olympic Flame will continue its long journey along the Mediterranean. From tomorrow, head to the Var, its coasts, its islands, its mountains, its lakes and its history for a journey between Saint-Raphaël and Toulon.
Before being a Games city, Marseille is a city that breathes sport, and in particular football. It is this Marseille passion that the Flame highlighted with its first team of Flame bearers who looked like the Marseille Olympics. Basile Boli, first bearer of the Flame of the day, opened the ball by brandishing the Paris 2024 Torch at the top of the Notre-Dame-de-La-Garde Basilica before passing it on to Colette Cataldo, a fervent 83-year-old supporter. from Olympique de Marseille! A strong moment in symbols and emotions.
As a common theme of the day, legends of Marseille football took turns for a final segment of the exceptional Relay: Jean-Pierre Papin led the way in the emblematic Vélodrome stadium, before Louisa Nécib and Valentin Rongier continued in the stadium enclosure. From the roof of the Vélodrome, Soprano and Jenny Perret, young footballer from Olympique de Marseille, performed a spectacular Torch Kiss. It was Eric Di Meco who finally passed on the Torch to one of the icons of the Marseille public: Didier Drogba, last bearer of the Flame of the day, who lit the cauldron.
Nearly 200 flame bearers meet the people of Marseillais
Other athletes took turns to meet the Marseillais: among them Tony Parker carried the Flame to Vallon des Auffes before handing it over to Nando de Colo, for a moment under the sign of international basketball. Personalities who contribute to the city’s reputation were also among the bearers of the Olympic Flame. The spectators were able to applaud the comedian Redouane Bougheraba at the “MARSEILLE” Letters level, the actress Nicole Ferroni, the presenter Camille Combal, the three-star chef Alexandre Mazzia and even Alonzo, who shared the stage of the Coca- Yesterday’s cola with Soprano.
This day rich in symbolism allowed us to highlight anonymous people with extraordinary stories. Like Barbara, a sailor who is committed to promoting access to sailing for women in Marseille; Louis, former dockworker and the most successful boxing trainer, who notably participated in the launch of the careers of a good number of champions; Clara, French para-swimming champion who works to make the sport accessible to all and Matthieu, youngest of the stage, future French decathlon hopeful who is part of the Marseille firefighters battalion.
A first day of relay to celebrate sport, athletes and culture throughout the city!
An unprecedented collective relay, organized by the State, was held in front of the MUCEM with 27 athletes representing member countries of the European Union and Maria Vysochanska, Ukrainian gymnast. Among them, athletes and para athletes of all generations like Jean Galfione, French Olympic pole vault champion in 1996; Karolina Pelendritou, the three-time Paralympic champion Cypriot swimmer; Davide Tizzano, the Italian rower twice Olympic champion or Amanda Kotaja, Finnish para athlete who competes in T54 for wheelchair athletes and who was a silver medalist at the Tokyo Games.
On the cultural side, Le Château d’If welcomed for the second consecutive day La Horde for a unique adaptation of the show “ Room with the view » performed on the different levels of the castle. A plastic installation by Miguel Chevalier, inspired by marine flows and biodiversity around the Château d’If, was also visible on the island’s lighthouse.
At the celebration site on the Stade du Vélodrome square, the two Official Sponsors of the Torch Relay were there to entertain the Marseillais. Coca-Cola extended the festivities of the day before by offering the public a musical atmosphere, drink tastings, and a photobooth with the Torch of Paris 2024. For Banque Populaire, water sports were in the spotlight with initiations, notably learning marine knots, and awareness sessions on the preservation of aquatic environments. The public was also able to learn about team sports with Caisse d’Epargne: introductions to basketball and handball supervised by coaches from the respective federations were offered on a set-up field. The public will be able to find all these activities every day in the Godfathers village of the celebration site.
The first day of the Relay was also an opportunity to mobilize local businesses. Paris 2024 called on La Table de Cana, an integration company, to provide lunch for the (agile) convoy and ESAT Open de Provence for laundry services. At the end of this day full of emotions, the Olympic Flame will continue its long journey along the Mediterranean. From tomorrow, head to the Var, its coasts, its islands, its mountains, its lakes and its history for a journey between Saint-Raphaël and Toulon.
Photo credit: Paris 2024 / Cédric Michel / SIPA PRESS
Find all the photo and video content of the day on the Paris 2024 Content Library.
- Photo credits are included in the photo metadata
- Credit Ours News: France Télévisions – Paris 2024 / Credit CIO
Program for Friday May 10:
Find the entire stage program on https://olympics.com/fr/paris-2024/relais-de-la-flamme-olympique/etapes/var-toulon
Celebration site program:
Open to the public from 3:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
Free with gauge control
3:30 p.m.: opening to the public
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: community activities on the sports area
5:45 p.m.-6:50 p.m.: partner events on the sports area
7:20 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: arrival of the last torchbearer
