The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, in 101 days. This April 16, 2024, an official ceremony presented by Nikos Aliagas was held in Greece, in Olympia, in the presence of Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the mayor of Olympia Aristidis Panagiotopoulos as well as the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and the French minister of Sports and the Olympics, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, to light the torch of the Olympic flame.
“The immense honor of having a legendary athlete by our side”
The Olympic torch was brandished by Greek actress Mary Mina and it was lit at 11:18 a.m. (French time), before being handed over to Laure Manaudou. In his speech, Tony Estanguet, president of the Games organizing committee, greeted the swimmer, several times Olympic champion.
By stating: “In this great collective adventure that opens up to us today, we have the immense honor of having at our side a legendary athlete, who will play the leading role. Dear Laure Manaudou, you are already captain of the Paris 2024 torch relay, and it is an honor that you are the first scout of our relay. In Athens, just 20 years ago, you showed us the most beautiful way, by winning 3 medals, gold, silver, bronze, for your first games at just 17 years old. Simply extraordinary”.
“We’re counting on you to light the fire”
And to add: “First French gold medalist in Athens, in 2004, first French relay runner of Paris 2024. The symbolism is immense for the first equal Olympic Games in history. Dear Laure, we are very happy to launch the Paris 2024 Games with you , and with this flame that we have been waiting for so long, allow me this little nod to a monument of French song (Johnny Hallyday, editor’s note), there are millions of French people waiting for these Games, and we. count on you to light the fire”.