Paris organizers take delivery of Olympic flame at Greek venue of first modern Games
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Paris Oympics flame was formally handed to French organizers on Friday in the all-marble stadium where the first modern Games were held in Athens in 1896.
Greek water polo player Ioannis Fountoulis, the last in a long line of torchbearers, used the flame to light a cauldron at the Panathenaic Stadium. From there, it was delivered to Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet.
A few moments of suspense followed as assistants struggled to light the lantern that will carry the flame to France.
“It wants to stay in Greece,” Estanguet joked.
Safely in the lantern, the flame will depart for France on Saturday on a 19th century sailing ship across the Mediterranean Sea, to make landfall 12 days later in the southern port city of Marseille.
The flame was kindled on April 16 at Olympia in southern Greece, where the ancient games were held for more than 1,000 years from about 776 B.C. to A.D. 393.
Related articles
How major US stock indexes fared Friday, 5/31/2024
Stocks ended mostly higher on Wall Street, closing out the market’s latest winning month. The S&2024-06-03US move of tariff hikes sets 'bad example' for free trade
An aerial drone photo taken on July 11, 2023 shows new energy vehicles for export at a terminal of T2024-06-03CBA Finals: Liaoning ease to comfortable win in Game 1
The Liaoning Flying Leopards breezed past the Xinjiang Flying Tigers 121-112 on Wednesday to open th2024-06-03Travel route honors CPC's historic journey
A new travel route featuring red cultural heritage was issued in memory of a historic event 75 years2024-06-03Trump joins TikTok, the app he once tried to ban as president
Donald Trump has joined the popular video-sharing app TikTok, a platform he once tried to ban while2024-06-03Grand Canal exhibition in China showcases archaeological findings
This photo taken on May 13, 2024 shows an exhibition showcasing the significant archaeological disco2024-06-03
atest comment