Marseille parties on as the Olympic Torch Relay gets under way!
Following the spectacular arrival of the Olympic torch at the Vieux Port yesterday, Paris 2024 again invited the people of Marseille to celebrate the very first day of the Torch Relay in France in the heart of the city.
Paris 2024, the City of Marseille, the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolitan Area, the Bouches-du-Rhône Department and the South Region pulled out all the stops to keep the party going in the city, along with the Partners of the Torch Relay: Coca-Cola, Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne.
Close to 200 Olympic Torchbearers shone a light on Marseille, including Basile Boli from the top of Notre-Dame de la Garde and Didier Drogba at Stade Vélodrome. The opening day of the relay was a city-wide celebration of sport, athletes and culture.
Marseille's passion for sport takes centre stage
Even before it became an Olympic city, Marseille lived and breathed sport, with a special mention for football. The Olympic flame shone a light on this burning passion for sport, with the first team of Torchbearers capturing the essence of the Olympique de Marseille football club. Basile Boli, who ran the first leg of the day, got the show on the road by holding the Paris 2024 Olympic torch aloft from the top of the Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica before handing it over to Colette Cataldo, an 83-year-old dyed-in-the-wool Olympique de Marseille supporter, in a symbolic and emotionally charged moment!
The day saw legends of football in Marseille take turns carrying the torch for the amazing final leg of the relay: Jean-Pierre Papin got the action going in the iconic Stade Vélodrome before Louisa Nécib and Valentin Rongier took over on the stadium premises. Perched on the roof of the stadium, Soprano and Jenny Perret, one of Olympique de Marseille's rising stars, performed a spectacular torch kiss. It fell upon Éric Di Meco to hand over the torch to one of the idols of the home crowds, Didier Drogba, who ran the final stretch and lit the cauldron.
Nearly 200 Torchbearers meet the people of Marseille
Other athletes turned up to meet the people of Marseille. One of them, Tony Parker, carried the torch in the Vallon des Auffes before passing it on to Nando de Colo in a celebration of international basketball. Locals who have helped put the city on the map were also among the Olympic Torchbearers. Spectators cheered for the comedian Redouane Bougheraba as he zipped past the MARSEILLE sign, as well as the actress Nicole Ferroni, the TV and radio show host Camille Combal, the three-star chef Alexandre Mazzia and Alonzo, who shared the stage with Soprano in the Coca-Cola concert yesterday.
This symbolic day also thrust anonymous fighters with extraordinary stories into the limelight, such as Barbara, a sailor who works hard to make it easier for women to take up sailing in Marseille; Louis, a former docker who is the most decorated boxing coach in the country and has played a key role in launching the careers of numerous champions; Clara, the French para swimming champion, who strives to unlock sport for all; and Matthieu, the baby of the stage, a rising star on the French decathlon scene who also serves with the Marseille Naval Fire Battalion.
A city-wide celebration of sport, athletes and culture on day one of the Relay
In a historic first organised by the French government, a group relay took place opposite the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations, featuring athletes from the 27 Member States of the European Union, along with the Ukrainian gymnast Mariia Vysochanska. Among them were athletes of every generation, such as Jean Galfione, who won France Olympic gold in the pole vault event in 1996; the Cypriot swimmer Karolina Pelendritou, a three-time Paralympic gold medallist; the Italian rower and two-time Olympic gold medallist Davide Tizzano; and the Finnish Paralympic athlete Amanda Kotaja, who competes in the T54 category for wheelchair athletes and claimed silver at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
On the cultural front, the Château d'If hosted (LA)HORDE for the second day in a row for a novel adaptation of the show Room With A View, performed on the various levels of the castle. A plastic installation by Miguel Chevalier, inspired by the marine currents and biodiversity around the Château d'If, could also be seen on the lighthouse that stands on the island.
The two Official Partners of the Torch Relay set up camp at the celebration venue on the forecourt of Stade du Vélodrome to bring a splash of fun to people in Marseille. Coca-Cola gave an encore of the festivities of the previous day, with musical ambience, beverage tastings and a photo booth with the Paris 2024 torch. Meanwhile, Banque Populaire rode the wave of water sports, with introductions to topics such as sailing knots and awareness-raising sessions about the importance of protecting aquatic environments. The public also got a taste of collective sports with Caisse d'Epargne, which organised introductions to basketball and handball run by coaches from each federation on a court prepared in advance. The public will enjoy all these activities every day at the Partner Village of the celebration venue.
The inaugural stage was also an opportunity to unleash the power of local businesses. Paris 2024 called upon La Table de Cana, a social integration company, for the lunch of the (swift) convoy and upon the Open de Provence vocational rehabilitation centre for laundry services.
After this emotion-packed day, the Olympic torch will continue its journey hugging the Mediterranean seafront. Tomorrow, it will set course for the Var department and its coasts, islands, mountains, lakes and history on a stage from Saint-Raphaël to Toulon.