ATHENS - In a significant ceremonial event on Friday, Greece transferred the Olympic flame to the organizers of Paris 2024. The event, marked by the presence of thousands of spectators, occurred at the Panathenaic Stadium, the historic venue where the ancient Olympic Games were revived in 1896.
According to Philippines News Agency, the flame had journeyed for 11 days through Greece, starting on April 16 from Olympia in the Peloponnese, the site of the ancient games' inception. Ioannis Fountoulis, a silver medalist in water polo from the Tokyo 2020 Games, was the final torchbearer in Greece before the official handover. Spyros Kapralos, the chief of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, presented the flame to Tony Estanguet, the chairman of Paris 2024. Following the ceremony, the flame was secured at the French Embassy in Athens and is scheduled to leave for Marseille on May 8. Upon arrival, it will be welcomed by French swimmer Florent Manaudou, who will be the first torchbearer in France. The 33rd edition of the Summer Olympics is set to commence on July 26 with the opening ceremony planned on the River Seine.