Greece handed over the Olympic flame to Paris 2024 Summer Games organizers following a ceremony in Athens on Friday, which will then depart the Greek capital by water and arrive in Marseille on May 8 to begin a weeks-long torch relay across France.
After traveling 5,000 kilometers over 11 days across Greece, the Olympic flame arrived at the Panathenaic stadium accompanied by the presidential guard. With blue skies and high temperatures, Greek national marathon champion Maria Polyzou brought the flame to the Panathenaic stadium under heavy police safeguard and security. It was then taken inside to the Olympic cauldron.
"It is a great honor to be a link in this great chain of roads. And it's a great honor because I have a long history at the Panathenaic Stadium. I've finished many times, and I'm the first Greek woman to have run in the Olympic Games in the Marathon. I am looking forward to this moment. Great excitement, great joy, great honor," said Polyzou.
The Olympic flame was ignited earlier this month at the ancient Temple of Hera in a traditional lighting ceremony at the site of the first Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia. After traveling across Greece and being carried by athletes, politicians, and citizens, it arrived in Athens in the late afternoon. With the Greek and French flags overlooking the event, it was then put into a recycled metal lantern and handed over to the host country of the Games.
But this event, both the lighting and handover ceremonies took place in the shadow of the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, and the main message from both athletes and the head of the International Olympic Academy is "peace," as it was maintained during the Games in ancient Greece.
"During the Olympics, in ancient times the country was coming to a truce. We hope not just for a truce, but we hope for the cessation of any war conflict and idea," said Greek Paralympic swimmer Antonios Tsapatakis.
"So let the message today from Greece, from Athens to the city of Paris, be that of peace, especially during the turbulent times we are going through. Let the message arrive to the friendly people of France who are hosting the Olympics, and from there, I believe and hope that a global message of peace will start because that's what it symbolizes. The flame symbolizes solidarity, peace, and the fraternity of peoples," said Isidoros Kouvelos, President of International Olympic Academy.
With less than 100 days to go until the Paris Olympic Games, the flame will arrive in the port city of Marseille by vessel on May 8, kicking off a torch relay around France that ends with the opening ceremony in Paris on July 26.
Greece hands over Olympic Flame to Paris 2024 Games organizers
