Olympic flame arrives in Marseille amid ‘unprecedented security’
Amid stringent security measures, the Olympic flame has reached French shores in Marseille, marking the countdown to the Paris Games’ opening ceremony in 79 days.
Embarking on a 12-day voyage from Greece aboard the historic sailing vessel Belem, the torch was ceremoniously brought ashore by Florent Manaudou, France’s 2012 Olympic men’s 50m freestyle swimming champion.
The relay then passed to Nantenin Keita, a Paralympic track athlete who clinched the 400m title in Rio 2016, before Marseille’s own Jul, a renowned French rapper, ignited the Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron, witnessed by an estimated 150,000 spectators, including President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron expressed pride, stating, “It marks the culmination of preparations – the Games are becoming a reality for the French people. The flame has arrived. We can stand tall.”
The Olympic flame will commence its journey from Marseille on Thursday, traversing France and six overseas territories before reaching Paris for the grand opening on July 26th.
Welcoming the Belem to Marseille, a flotilla of over 1,000 boats underscored the significance of the moment.
Meanwhile, authorities deployed 6,000 law enforcement officers, canine units, and elite sniper teams to ensure unprecedented security, as noted by Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who emphasized that despite these measures, life in Marseille continues under secure conditions.
France heightened its security alert level following a fatal knife attack on a teacher last October, coupled with apprehensions about escalating conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza potentially heightening security risks.
In April of this year, Mr Darmanin spoke of an online threat to European sporting events that he said had been “publicly expressed” by the Islamic State group.
The president of the Paris 2024 organising committee, Tony Estanguet, said Marseille was the “obvious choice” to host the boat parade given it is France’s oldest city and was founded by Greeks.