Spotlight on the Seine-Maritime, from Rouen to Le Havre!
On the stage in Seine-Maritime this Friday, the Olympic Torch Relay enjoyed visits to the renowned seaside resorts of Normandyâs coast, passed above the cliffs at Ătretat and highlighted the wealth of the local areaâs heritage as well as its sporting vitality. A collective relay dedicated to badminton took place in Le Havre and many sportspeople were present throughout the day, including David Douillet, Sandrine Gruda and Sarah Abitbol. Other local sportspeople were also in attendance such as the natives of Le Havre yachtsman Charlie Dalin and French rowing champion Margaux Bailleul, who lit the celebration cauldron at the end of the day.
In the heart of the cradle of the impressionists
It was already the 49th stage of the Olympic Torch Relay today, but the popular acclaim was still as intense along the roadsides. After eastern and northern France, the Olympic Torch continued its journey slightly further to the west by exploring the Seine-Maritime this Friday. The landscapes of this area are so reminiscent of a painting that they shaped the imagination of the impressionists. It is a charming territory that has inspired so many artists, with its relaxing landscapes, 130 kilometres of coastline and many seaside resorts. The Seine-Maritime also boasts villages, towns and cities with characteristic architecture, from dovecotes and clos-masure farms to cathedrals and castles.
In addition to this well-preserved heritage, the area also boasts a fine sporting reputation, with more than 1,500 sports clubs, including football, rugby and rowing, a discipline which owes its popularity to the closeness of the United Kingdom. The Seine-Maritime has also welcomed international competitions such as the Tour de France, the womenâs football world cup in 2019 and the Transat Jacques Vabre every two years, with the next edition taking place in 2025.
The Olympic Torch lights up the cliffs at Ătretat
The Olympic Torch Relay put the spotlight on this natural and cultural heritage throughout the day. Its route began in Rouen, where it passed in front of the cathedral, which is the biggest in France, before crossing through the city centre and under the Gros-Horloge clock. Afterwards, the Olympic Torch Relay passed near to the JumiĂšges abbey, Dieppe and its shingle beaches, as well as the ChĂąteau de Mirville mansion, which was the childhood home of Pierre de Coubertin.
After a visit to Yvetot and its pink-stoned church, the Olympic Torch headed to Ătretat and its famous cliffs, to the top of the Porte dâAval cliff arch. It was then time to go to Le Havre, a city that was rebuilt after the Second World War and is now listed as UNESCO world heritage. The Olympic Torch Relay took in the Narrow House, the Porte OcĂ©ane district, the MuMa modern art museum and the Volcan, which is the hub of cultural life in Le Havre. To finish the day, it arrived on Esplanade Nelson Mandela where the celebration venue was installed and was welcomed by thousands of the inhabitants of Le Havre!
Pride of place for badminton with Christelle Mol
The dayâs collective relay took place in the streets of Le Havre, hear to Quai Georges V, organised by the French Federation of Badminton, which boasts many players in the area. The discipline became popular here after the war and the area played host to several French championships in the 1950s and 1960s.
The captain of this relay was Christelle Mol, who was the first Frenchwoman to participate in badminton at the Barcelona Games in 1992, when the discipline achieved Olympic status. Alongside her were 23 badminton players who are very proud of their sport, such as Sandrine Becquart and Stéphane Renault, who have taken part in international competitions, Maxime Renault, who is a coach, Wilfried Inger, an adapted sport French badminton champion, and Delphine Demarest, a volunteer who strives to help the development of the discipline in adapted sport.
Applause from the roadsides for the dayâs champions
Throughout the entire day, 125 individual torchbearers took it in turns to carry the Olympic Torch. As ever, plenty of sportspeople took part. Many of them have distinguished themselves at the Olympic Games, such as judoka David Douillet, who won gold medals in Atlanta in 1996 and in Sydney in 2000, figure skater Sarah Abitbol, who took part in the Nogano Winter Olympic Games in 1998, basketballer Sandrine Gruda, who won a silver medal at the London Games in 2012, and swimmer Hugues Duboscq, who was a medallist in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. Para-athletes were also present, including Alexis Hanquinquant, the six times para-triathlon world champion and gold medallist at the Tokyo Games, and Gaël RiviÚre, a silver medallist in blind football at the London Paralympic Games.
LĂ©onie Cambours, a two times para-triathlon world champion, carried the Olympic Torch in Yvetot. She trains with the Seine-Mariteam 76 team and is one of many local athletes who shines on all terrains, just like pole vaulter Elise Russis, a silver medallist at the under-20 world championships, Marina Pantic, a handball player with the HAC Handball club, or former archery world champion Nadine Mayeux.
They rubbed shoulders with Kévin Campion, the six times race walking French champion, boxer Alfousseynou Kamara, also a French champion, and Gilles Quénéhervé, a former 200-metre runner. French yachtsman and native of Le Havre Charlie Dalin also had the honour of carrying the Olympic Torch. He achieved second place on the last Vendée Globe and has one of the most impressive rolls of honour in ocean racing, having won the Transat Jacques Vabre and the New York - Vendée / Les Sables d'Olonne races.
Other local celebrities were present, such as influencer Camille Stengel and dancer Fauve Hautot, who particularly came to fame in the French TV programme Danse avec les stars (the Gallic version of Strictly Come Dancing). The Olympic Torch Relay also shone the spotlight on the Sine Qua None association through its chairwoman Mathilde Castres. This project, backed by Impact 2024, aims to encourage accessibility to sports for young girls.
Finally, the evening was very symbolic for the two torchbearers who brought the day to a close. The penultimate torchbearer, Mike de Almeida, is a member of the Entourage association, which endeavours to rebuild social links. He carried out the final torch kiss of the day with Margaux Bailleul, a young native of Le Havre who is a member of a local rowing club. She has been a member of the French team since she was 16 years old, already boasting several French championship titles, and lit the celebration cauldron in front of a particularly enthusiastic crowd.
The long route of the Olympic Torch Relay will continue on Saturday in the Eure, making its way through this peaceful area, between Paris and the Normandy coast, among plains, valleys and dense forests. The route will start in Pont-Audemer and finish in Vernon where the celebration venue will be set up.