On Wednesday, ahead of crowds gathering on the waterfront and hilltops of the ancient port city of Marseille, the Olympic flame arrived on French soil, beginning a 79-day journey across the country and its territories that will culminate in Paris as the Olympics open. peak.
Florent Manaudou, the 2012 French Olympic men’s 50m freestyle champion, carried the flame ashore from the historic three-masted ship Belem. It left Greece on April 27, carrying the flame that had been lit in ancient Olympia 11 days earlier.
After a French air force unit known as the “Acrobatic Patrol” tracked the Olympic rings in the sky, Manadoux walked on the flame in front of an estimated crowd along a makeshift pier modeled after a track and field track. Surveyed more than 225,000 people. As he reached land, fireworks exploded into red, white and blue smoke – the colors of the French flag.
As Mr Manadou handed the torch to French Paralympic sprinter Nantenin Keita, President Macron looked on with a smile, soaking up the joy of the city he loves. The flame was then handed over to the famous Marseille rapper Jules, who lit the Olympic cauldron to loud applause.
“We need a strong symbol, a strong symbol that can somehow show the shining face of France,” Paris Olympic Committee president Tony Estanguet told France 2 television about the project. A city founded approximately 2,600 years ago. “Marseille is a city full of sport, passion and festivals.”
France, which has been the target of Islamist terror attacks several times over the past decade, had tight security on Wednesday, with access to the port area controlled by more than 6,000 law enforcement officers. Interior Minister and future presidential candidate Gérald Darmanin called the security level “unprecedented.”
Lucas Poujade, 23, a business student from the Auvergne region in central France, was on holiday near Marseille and decided to witness the festivities.
“This is a once in a lifetime experience,” he said. “I think the people of Marseille are proud and happy that the competition is not only taking place in Paris. For those who haven’t had the chance to watch one of the events, at least this is a way to be involved.
The mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, was ecstatic about the sight, which he described as touching and full of surprises. “We can say that Marseille is the Olympic champion of atmosphere,” he said.
The torch relay will begin on Thursday. The torchbearers will include former star players of local football club Olympique Marseille. These include Didier Drogba and Jean-Pierre Papin. Alexandre Mazzia, a three-star chef at an acclaimed Marseille restaurant who will be feeding athletes during the Games, will also serve as a torch bearer.
“I am happy and proud to be a part of this extraordinary event,” Mr. Mazzia said in a brief interview. He added that for him, carrying the torch represents “the values of brotherhood, participation, manual work and French skill”.
This elaborate delivery event will be attended by more than 10,000 people, including French overseas departments as well as mainland France and Corsica. The Torch will embark on a grand tour in the French-speaking world, traveling to Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and France from June 9 to 17. Niwan Island.
One idea behind the relay is to bring France together, but the prospect of the Olympics has yet to fully convince France. A survey last month by the Ipsos polling agency found that only 53% of French people were interested in the Olympics; about 37% of people living outside Paris felt completely indifferent. Although interest and enthusiasm have grown in recent months as the Olympics approach, there is no deal in France.
On Wednesday, the left-wing daily Liberation published an opinion piece written by local Marseille officials, including two deputy mayors, setting out some of the concerns.
“Let us open our eyes,” they wrote. “The flame arrives at the bastion of a Europe that has forgotten its traditions of greetings and hospitality,” they added, referring to attempts by far-right parties to curb rising immigration. They said the Olympics would damage the local environment and in Paris “will accelerate gentrification and the expulsion of the poor.”
Marseille is Paris’ traditional rival in sport and in most other respects. Mr Macron is a supporter of the Marseille Olympics and has been a regular visitor to the city during his seven-year term as president. He has tried, with only partial success, to tackle the serious social problems plaguing parts of the Mediterranean city – drugs, violent crime, extreme poverty.
“There is always doubt, there is always a France that doubts, and some of us just want to see problems,” Macron told reporters after the ceremony. But, he added, “Now I believe we are in the game, the game is here, the flame is here!”
Of course, the mood in Marseille on Wednesday was decidedly positive. The air was filled with the sound of music, and a fleet of more than 1,000 ships blew their horns to welcome the arrival of the Belem under the blue sky in the calm, sparkling port.
The weather smiles on a city that has seen so much violence and suffering, while retaining the strong pride and openness of a port city. As a symbol of France’s Olympic commitment, the choice of Marseille seems fitting.
Aurelien Breeden Contributed reporting.
