Celebrations like never before in Guadeloupe for the Olympic Torch, transported via the ocean!
This Saturday will be etched in the memory for a long time. For the first time in history, the Olympic Torch shone in Guadeloupe. The day began with a majestic arrival aboard the Maxi Banque Populaire XI trimaran which crossed the Atlantic Ocean after leaving Brest on 7th June. It was eagerly awaited on the ACTe Memorial jetty by Tony Estanguet, Chairman of the Paris 2024 organising committee, who had come to attend the Olympic Torch Relay in the West Indies. It then illuminated all Guadeloupe’s many attractions with the Olympic Torch Relay sponsors, Coca-Cola, Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne, who came together to celebrate the magic and values of the Olympic s in an incredibly joyful atmosphere.
A memorable arrival
Today witnessed an adventure that has never before been accomplished since the Olympic Torch Relay exists. On 7th June in front of thousands of spectators, the Olympic Torch was taken aboard a maxi-trimaran, Maxi Banque Populaire XI, which is currently one of the quickest and highest performance boats, brimming with technology and innovations. It was sailed by Armel Le Cléac’h, the Vendée Globe record holder, and Sébastien Josse, both of whom are renowned skippers. They were accompanied by four legendary ambassadors, all symbols of French excellence, who were able to experience the exceptional adventure of crossing the Atlantic Ocean!
Marie-José Pérec, a triple Olympic gold medallist and a symbol of the success of overseas sportspeople, and Marine Lorphelin, a former Miss France, doctor and ambassador for the Olympic Torch Relay, took their places on the boat with multi-award-winning director Alexis Michalik and two-starred chef Hugo Roellinger. They brought the Olympic Torch to Guadeloupe when they docked early in the morning at the ACTe Memorial, where the sailors celebrate their arrival on the Route du Rhum race every four years. The boat’s arrival gave rise to a particularly warm reunion between its crew and the spectators, who turned out in force, including a special guest, Tony Estanguet, who was there to celebrate this moving moment and take part in the day’s celebrations.
Pride of place for Guadeloupe’s nature and history
While the members of the crew returned to terra firma and a well-deserved rest, the Olympic Torch was on the move as soon as it landed. And it was worth it: the route, drawn up in conjunction with local and regional authorities, combined the emblematic sporting venues, heritage and magnificent landscapes that make Guadeloupe a special place in the hearts of French people. After setting off from the ACTe Memorial in Pointe-à-Pitre, the Olympic Torch headed to the Gosier sports and culture centre.
Afterwards, it journeyed to Saint-François and the Pointe du Châteaux cape, the most visited site on the isle which offers unbeatable views over the surrounding islands. The Olympic Torch also called in on Saint-Claude, Basse-Terre and Le Moule, which is famous for its carnival. It also stopped at the CREPS in Guadeloupe, a centre of excellence where young promising sportspeople can continue their studies.
They may become tomorrow’s champions, just like Laura Flessel, the fencing athlete after whom the sports centre in Petit-Bourg is named, to which the Olympic Torch Relay paid a visit. The next part of the journey took place in the Baie des Saintes bay, which is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, during a spectacular sequence. Back on the main island, the relay headed for Baie-Mahault and the Amédée Detraux velodrome where the celebration cauldron was lit.
Following in Laura Flessel’s footsteps, fencing enjoys the spotlight
Like on each stage, the spotlight was shone on a specific discipline. Today, it was fencing, given that Guadeloupe has contributed to France’s success in this sport. Symbolically, the collective relay organised by the French Federation of Fencing took place at Baie-Mahault in the Palais des Sports Laura Flessel sports complex, with none other than Laura Flessel herself as captain! A former minister, she still is the most successful Frenchwoman in her sport.
This relay recounted each of the stages in a fencing athlete’s career, from their beginnings to Olympic victory, under the watchful gaze of the Chairman of the Paris 2024 organising committee, Tony Estanguet. Among the 23 torchbearers were young foil swordsman Owen Richardson, emerging athlete Ileana Nunes de Sousa Noronha, enthusiast Pierre Elias Nahas and former athlete but now national referee and coach in Petit-Bourg, Marine Horn-Cosaque.
Athletes and members of the general public take it in turns to light up Guadeloupe
In addition to the collective relay, 124 people carried the Olympic Torch throughout the day, including many Guadeloupean celebrities. Indeed, Marie-José Pérec was the first to carry the Olympic Torch on Guadeloupean soil. The spectators were also able to applaud local sportspeople: Paralympic shooter Yann Jacques, triathlete Patrice Palmont, judoka Angelio Courtois and coach Hugo Thelier.
Among famous names from yesteryear were Raymonde Nebot, who was selected for the Olympic Games in Moscow (in 1980) and Los Angeles (in 1984), Christine Arron, a medallist in Athens (in 2004, in the 4 x 100 m relay) and Mickaël Gelabale, a member of the French basketball team in London (in 2012) and Rio (in 2016). It was Véronique Vatran who lit the celebration cauldron in Baie Mahault. This BMX enthusiast is actively involved in developing the sport in Guadeloupe via a number of initiatives.
Like on each stage, dozens of members of the general public also carried the Olympic Torch. They all shared life stories and commitments that are dear to the values of the Olympics. Among them were Frédérique Merlin, a teacher of young people with disabilities who works to prevent dropouts from school and to protect the environment, as well as Nicole Tripoli, who is the chairwoman of an association that supports people suffering from illnesses affecting their immune system (“Lupus Guadeloupe”).
The smiling faces and the infectious joy of Frédérique, Nicole and the other torchbearers contributed to ensuring this was an unforgettable day for everyone who participated. The celebrations will now continue in Martinique. The Maxi Banque Populaire XI trimaran will take to the seas again and head to Fort-de-France with Tony Estanguet on board as well as a new crew made up of overseas sportspeople Laura Flessel, Coralie Balmy, Kéni Pipérol-Dampied and Thomas Debierre. The festivities in the French West Indies will therefore continue, with the assurance of experiencing some more unforgettable moments