Paris 2024: 14 July, an extra-special Bastille Day in the French capital
14 July is Bastille Day in France, so when it was coupled with the arrival of the Olympic torch in the French capital, the national holiday was enlightened by emotion. Between one of the most iconic avenues in the world, Champs-Élysées, and the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville (City Hall Square), all of the participants were moved, grateful and honoured to be a part of the unique and memorable event.
The day began on the Champs-Élysées and the torch travelled through several iconic Parisian sites as it was passed from hand to hand of those proud and excited to be involved in the experience.
That was exactly the case for 17-year-old Mathieu Bellemin, a college/high-school student at the National Institute for Blind Youth, who experienced this day as an honour.
"It’s an unforgettable moment which also raises awareness surrounding people with disabilities,” he said.
"It was also an honour to meet celebrities and the public. I really didn't expect that, it was beyond my expectations. It was an event that I will never forget." Bellemin’s Olympic experience has only just begun, though, as he will also participate in the Marathon Pour Tous on 10 August.
Mathieu Bellemin carrying the flame in Paris on Bastille Day - 14 July, 2024.
A day of symbols
The emotion was also visible on the face of Claudine Laslaz, an anaesthetist and nurse, who was touched by the opportunity to be a part of the story and carry the torch in a place that meant so much to her.
"When I found out that it was at the Pantheon, I was even more moved because it is a monument which represents a lot for France and the Republic, a great place of history."
Then, the torch continued its journey. From hand to hand, it made it all the way to the Louvre Museum, where hundreds of enthusiasts gathered to wait for their idols.
Among the public figures was Kim Seok-jin, the K-Pop star, the artist JR and Rudy Gobert.
While the Torchbearers, all dressed in their white uniform, moved along the main Parisian streets, the crowd came in large numbers to applaud and photograph them. There were a multitude of spectators all the way to the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, where the usual Bastille Day concert was held.
Olympic flame or not, changing the ritual was not part of the plan, but it was for the best! The traditional classical music concert in Paris was mixed with sport, culminating with the arrival of Yannick Noah to light the cauldron (see below).
A grande finale matching the ambitions of Paris 2024 in the City of Light
To close out the first day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay in the French capital, France's basketball player Nicolas Batum handed over the flame to former French international tennis player, Yannick Noah, who will captain the French wheelchair tennis team in Paris. He then lit the cauldron on the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville and…
5… 4… 3… 2… 1… 0!
After the countdown of the crowd hit zero, the Marseillaise was struck up by choristers and a big orchestra.
Finally, the traditional firework show for Bastille Day was performed from the Eiffel Tower and it was a beautiful way to end the celebrations in the City of Light.
1,000 drones were then sent up and the spectacle was breathtaking, as the technology came together to represent various Olympic and Paralympic disciplines in colours and movements.
Everything that could have been done to make the world starry-eyed before having the Games wide open was done, and excitement for Paris 2024 is reaching all-time highs.