French torch bearer honored, excited to carry flame for Paris 2024 Olympics

Arnaud Dourlens, an employee at the French pharmaceutical and healthcare firm Sanofi, is overwhelmed with honor and excitement after being selected as an Olympic torch bearer for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.

Sanofi, a major sponsor of the games, provided its employees with an opportunity to apply for this prestigious role. For Dourlens, the chance to be a torch bearer is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that he could not miss.

"There was a lot of communication in the company and they sent a short email saying you could apply to be a torch bearer, and at that time it was very clear for me, it was a unique opportunity. So I replied, and sent a letter to explain why I'm ready to do so. By chance, I'm here today," said Dourlens.

The Olympic flame, which symbolizes unity and the core values of the Olympic Games, holds great significance for Dourlens.

"For me being a torch bearer is a unique opportunity to celebrate the Olympic Games. Definitely there are a lot of values behind Olympic Games that resonate for me, around excellence, around also being able to have a high performance. And also it's something around the world, you know, a kind of union, a time of peace, a time of being together. You can compete and be friends and in this world I think it means a lot," said Dourlens.

The Paris 2024 Olympic flame arrived in the French port city of Marseille on the historic French ship, the Belem, on Wednesday, and Dourlens and his family joined over 230,000 spectators, eagerly awaiting the arrival.

The following morning, in a historic neighborhood of Marseille, Dourlens's family, along with numerous others, excitedly anticipated the torch's journey through the city.

"We are very surprised and excited. It's a beautiful day, and we didn't expect all this to happen. It's very extraordinary," said Lucy Dourlens, Dourlens's wife.

When the moment arrived, Dourlens received the flame from the previous torch bearer and embarked on his own leg of the relay. Jogging approximately 200 meters, he greeted the cheering crowd along the route, carrying the symbolic flame proudly.

All across France, enthusiastic crowds have been gathering, waiting hours for a fleeting glimpse of the torch.

In total 10,000 torch bearers will help transport the flame across France and its territories before reaching France's capital Paris on July 26 for the opening of the games.

French torch bearer honored, excited to carry flame for Paris 2024 Olympics

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan should lift travel restrictions on mainland residents at an early date, said Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

Zhu made the remark in response to a media inquiry on an appeal made by Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, to revive the tourism sector of Penghu County of the Taiwan region.

Cheng said Penghu boasts stunning natural scenery and rich cultural heritage, but its development has been hampered in recent years. She called for the full resumption of "mini three links," direct two-way postal, trade and transport links between the mainland and the Taiwan region, so that Penghu can receive mainland tourists like Kinmen and Matsu.

She said this is the key to reviving local tourism industry.

"The 'mini three links' are livelihood channels and kinship routes connecting people across the Taiwan Strait. As of June 30, 2026, the 'mini three links' have safely carried out over 27 million passenger trips, with over 1.15 million passenger trips performed in the first half of this year alone, injecting strong momentum into the development of Taiwan's tourism industry," said Zhu.

"Tourism is an important carrier for a better life and is a natural bridge to promote exchanges. We have earnestly heeding the opinions and suggestions of people from all walks of life in Taiwan and actively promoted the resumption of Shanghai and Fujian residents' travel to Kinmen and Matsu, which has been warmly welcomed by the people of Taiwan," said Zhu.

People on the mainland are very willing to travel to various around Taiwan, including Penghu, but the main obstacle now comes from the DPP authorities who are using various untenable reasons to impede mainland residents from traveling to Taiwan, artificially blocking the recovery of the cross-strait tourism market. We advise the DPP authorities to prioritize the interests of people on both sides of the Strait and lift the travel restrictions on mainland residents to Taiwan at an early date," said Zhu.

Central government urges DPP to lift travel restrictions on mainland visitors