Jean-Pierre Papin, Jamel Debbouze, Thomas Pesquet… The names of most of the Olympic flame bearers revealed

The organization has announced the names of 80% of the 10,000 torch bearers, who will travel across France from May 8 to July 26, 2024.

Personalities, such as the actor Jean-Pascal Zadi, the director Alice Diop or the footballer Jean-Pierre Papin, but also committed anonymous people: the names of most of the 10,000 bearers who will take part in the Olympic torch relay have been revealed Monday January 15. All these torchbearers will hold the Olympic torch for approximately four minutes over a distance of 200 meters on a route throughout France, going from Marseille on May 8 to Paris on the day of the opening ceremony of the Games, July 26.

The relay route, in 64 territories (including five overseas) which were willing to pay 150,000 euros (excluding taxes) to see the flame pass through their territory, has been known since the summer of 2023. The names of some of the torchbearers had also already been revealed, like those of the astronaut Thomas Pesquet, the actor Jamel Debbouze, the swimmer Camille Lacourt, or even the gymnast Emilie Le Pennec. Swimmers Laure and Florent Manadou are “captains” of the operation.

Flessel, Ourahmoune and Papin will carry the flame

Among the carriers revealed on Monday, the fencer and former French Minister of Sports Laura Flessel, the boxing champion Sarah Ourahmoune, the basketball player Gabby Williams, the former footballer Jean-Pierre Papin and even Moussa Magassa, organizer of a “18th African Cup of Nations” in the Goutte d’Or district of Paris.

From its quota, the department of Seine-Saint-Denis selected people from its territory, such as the director Alice Diop, Oumar Diemé, a former Senegalese rifleman, or Georges Honigman, president of the Noisy volleyball club. -le-Grand since 1973.

The last torchbearer not yet known

The carriers were selected for 30% of them by the organizing committee of the Olympic Games and the sports movement, the sponsors of the torch relay (Coca-Cola and Banques Populaires-Caisses d’Epargne) and the other partners of the JO by also choosing 30% each. The last 10% were selected by the territories hosting the relay.

According to the rules of the International Olympic Committee, current elected officials or religious figures cannot carry the flame. Innovation for these Olympics, there will also be collective relays, led by sports federations. A group of 24 athletes around a flame bearer will provide entertainment. Revealed at the last moment, the name of the last torchbearer still remains shrouded in mystery, even if that of Marie-José Perec, French Olympic icon, is frequently cited.