Who is carrying the Olympic torch through Paris? A BTS star, a garbage collector and more

PARIS (AP) — From the Louvre Museum to the Eiffel Tower, from Paris' posh districts to working-class neighborhoods, hundreds of people have carried the Olympic torch through the French capital for two days of celebrations before the Summer Games kick off at the end of the month.

Joyful crowds lined up along the route Sunday and Monday.

“I got super emotional,” BMX world champion Matthias Dandois said after carrying the torch in front of the Eiffel Tower. ”I’m from Paris, and I grew up playing so much sport and watching the Olympics, and it was a dream to be a part of it."

About 10,000 people were chosen to carry the flame across France from the southern city port of Marseille, where it arrived on May 8, to the opening ceremony on July 26. Many are athletes. Others were picked because they represent art, culture and gastronomy, volunteer for charities or are deeply involved in community life.

Dressed in white, they ran at a slow pace to the cheers of spectators. The flame reached the top floor of the Eiffel Tower on Monday with French judoka and Olympic champion Clarisse Agbegnenou.

Francky Mbotto, a 26-year-old middle-distance runner from Central African Republic who lives in Paris, carried it near the Arc de Triomphe.

"This is incredible! It’s so emotional. It’s Olympism that is being highlighted," he said, adding that the relay is meant to deliver a “message of peace.”

Another torchbearer, Eva David, a wheelchair basketball athlete, described it as “a real moment of jubilation.”

Belgian singer Mentissa carried the torch as her songs were played. “Sport and music really bring people together and make us forget our daily lives," she said.

The torch made its grand entrance in Paris for Bastille Day on Sunday with military horse rider Col. Thibaut Vallette, gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Games. It was handed to a relay by students from the multicultural northern suburbs of Seine-Saint-Denis in front of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Former World Cup winner Thierry Henry, who leads France's Olympic soccer team, later carried the flame down the Champs-Elysees avenue.

Among the torchbearers who attracted the most attention was K-Pop icon Jin, a member of the band BTS, who carried it Sunday evening in front of the Louvre.

“It was an honor to be part of such a meaningful moment,” he said, according to his management agency.

Jin's relay drew a significant crowd. Sofia Boukhabla, 23, said she had very little interest in watching the Games but rushed with her friends to see Jin. “He is so cute,” she exclaimed.

Late on Sunday, Ludovic Franceschet, a local garbage collector, brought the flame inside Paris City Hall, where it spent the night under high protection. Franceschet, who seeks to raise environmental awareness with hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram, seized the occasion to remind residents and visitors to put their trash in bins.

The torch relay was also the chance to pay tribute to victims of the 2015 attacks in the French capital at the Bataclan concert hall and elsewhere. Lassana Bathily, the Mali-born employee who saved lives during an attack at a kosher supermarket, carried the torch at the Pantheon monument.

Some onlookers found relief from recent chaos in France.

Isabelle Kling, 70, took a detour from her usual dog-walking route to witness the relay. “It almost makes me want to cry, finally seeing the flame. It’s a bit of joy after the disastrous weeks we’ve had,” she said, alluding to the recent elections in France.

The torch will continue its journey in northern France and through the Paris region before heading back to the French capital.

The Olympic cauldron will be lit after the opening ceremony on the River Seine on July 26.

Associated Press journalists Oleg Cetinic in Paris and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s Olympics coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

French photographer JR holds the Olympic torch in the courtyard of the Louvre museum Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Torchbearers pose in front of the Moulin Rouge cabaret as dancers perform can-can dancing Monday, July 15, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

The Olympic torch is seen during a relay in the courtyard of the Louvre museum Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Jin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, takes the Olympic torch, Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. Jin will carry the Olympic torch in the area of Paris' Louvre Museum after recently completing his mandatory military service. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

French BMX champion Matthias Dandois shows his skills in front of the Eiffel Tower, during an Olympic torch relay event, Monday, July 15, 2024 in Paris, just 11 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Paris Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

Torchbearer Nina Metayer, a French pastry maker, holds the Olympic torch on the Champs-Elysees avenue, with the Arc de Triomphe in background, Monday, July 15, 2024 in Paris, just 11 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Paris Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

French photographer JR, left, and athlete Sandra Laoura hold the Olympic torch in the courtyard of the Louvre museum Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

French photographer JR, left, and athlete Sandra Laoura hold the Olympic torch in the courtyard of the Louvre museum Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Torchbearers pose in front of the Moulin Rouge cabaret as dancers perform can-can dancing Monday, July 15, 2024 in Paris, just 11 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Paris Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

Youth present the Olympic torch to officials during the Bastille Day parade, Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. The Olympic flame is lighting up the city's grandiose Bastille Day military parade. It's 12 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Summer Games. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Col. Thibault Vallette, of the Cadre Noir de Saumur, The French Horse and Riding Institute, carries the Olympic torch during the aerial Bastille Day parade, Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. The Olympic flame is lighting up the city's grandiose Bastille Day military parade. It's 12 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Summer Games. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Col. Thibault Vallette, of the Cadre Noir de Saumur, carries the Olympic torch during the Bastille Day parade Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. The Olympic flame is lighting up the city's grandiose Bastille Day military parade. It's 12 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Summer Games (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

Jin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, males a selfie with the Olympic torch, Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. Jin will carry the Olympic torch in the area of Paris' Louvre Museum after recently completing his mandatory military service. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

Fans wait for Jin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, to take the Olympic torch, Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. Jin will carry the Olympic torch in the area of Paris' Louvre Museum after recently completing his mandatory military service. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

Jin, left, he oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, takes the Olympic torch, Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. Jin will carry the Olympic torch in the area of Paris' Louvre Museum after recently completing his mandatory military service. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

Torchbearers pose in front of the Moulin Rouge cabaret as dancers perform can-can dancing Monday, July 15, 2024 in Paris, just 11 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Paris Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

French BMX champion Matthias Dandois holds the Olympic torch in front of the Eiffel Tower, Monday, July 15, 2024 in Paris, just 11 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Paris Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

Torchbearers Nina Metayer, a French pastry maker, and French-Israeli singer Amir hold the Olympic torch on the Champs-Elysees avenue, with the Arc de Triomphe in background, Monday, July 15, 2024 in Paris, just 11 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Paris Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Youths carry the Olympic torch during the Bastille Day parade Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. The Olympic flame is lighting up the city's grandiose Bastille Day military parade. It's 12 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Summer Games (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

French photographer JR, left, and athlete Sandra Laoura hold the Olympic torch in the courtyard of the Louvre museum Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Torchbearer Nina Metayer, a French pastry maker, holds the torch on the Champs-Elysees avenue, with the Arc de Triomphe in background, Monday, July 15, 2024 in Paris, just 11 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Paris Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, has died at age 70.

Tito was the third of nine Jackson children, which include global superstars Michael and sister Janet, part of a music-making family whose songs are still beloved today.

“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being,” his sons TJ, Taj and Taryll said in a statement posted on Instagram late Sunday.

The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. The family group, which was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s including "ABC," “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.”

The Jackson 5 became one of the biggest names in music under the guidance of their father, Joe Jackson, a steelworker and guitar player who supported his wife and nine children in Gary, Indiana. As the family’s music careers took off, they relocated to California.

Born on Oct. 15, 1953, Toriano Adaryll “Tito” Jackson was the least-heard member of the group as a background singer who played guitar. His brothers launched solo careers, including Michael, who became one of the world's biggest performers known as The King of Pop.

Michael Jackson died at age 50 on June 25, 2009.

Speaking to The Associated Press in December 2009, Jackson said his younger brother's death pulled the family closer together.

“I would say definitely it brought us a step closer to each other. To recognize that the love we have for each other when one of us is not here, what a great loss,” he said, adding he would personally never “be at peace with it.”

“There’s still moments when I just can’t believe it. So I think that’s never going to go away,” he said.

In 2014, Jackson said he and his brothers still felt Michael Jackson's absence in their shows that continued with international tours.

“I don’t think we will ever get used to performing without him. He’s dearly missed," he said, noting that his spirit "is with us when we are performing. It gives us a lot of positive energy and puts a lot of smiles on our faces."

Days before his death, Jackson posted a message on his Facebook page from Munich, Germany, on Sept. 11, where he visited a memorial to Michael Jackson with his brothers.

“Before our show in Munich, my brothers Jackie, Marlon, and I, visited the beautiful memorial dedicated to our beloved brother, Michael Jackson. We’re deeply grateful for this special place that honors not only his memory but also our shared legacy. Thank you for keeping his spirit alive," he wrote.

Tito Jackson was the last of the nine Jackson siblings to release a solo project with his 2016 debut, “Tito Time.” He released a song in 2017, “One Way Street,” and told the AP in 2019 that he was working on a sophomore album.

Jackson said he purposely held back from pursuing a solo career, because he wanted to focus on raising his three sons: TJ, Taj and Taryll, who formed their own music group 3T. Jackson's website offers a link to a single featuring 3T and Stevie Wonder titled, “Love One Another.”

Tito Jackson also is survived by his brothers Jermaine, Randy, Marlon and Jackie, his sisters Janet, Rebbie and Latoya and their mother, Katherine. Their father died in 2018.

Jackson's death was first reported by Entertainment Tonight.

FILE - Pop star Michael Jackson, center, his mother Katherine Jackson, right, and brother Tito Jackson, left, leave Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria, Calif., April 7, 2005, after another day of testimony in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)

FILE - From left, brothers Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson and Marlon Jackson pose for a portrait together in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - Singer Tito Jackson arrives at the opening night of, "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour," in Los Angeles, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, File)

FILE - The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, front right; Marlon Jackson, front left; Tito Jackson, back left; Jackie Jackson, back center; and Jermaine Jackson, back right; pose for this undated photo together in Los Angeles. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Tito Jackson, a member of the famed Jackson 5, poses for a portrait in Los Angeles, July 24, 2019, to promote his solo project, a new version of his 2017 song "One Way Street." (Photo by Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP, File)