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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Flame is lit for Paris 2024 in choreographed event in the birthplace of
the ancient Olympics
By Elinda Labropoulou, CNN
Updated:
5:56 AM EDT, Tue April 16, 2024
Source: CNN
The flame for the 2024 Paris Olympics has been lit in Olympia, the
birthplace of the ancient Olympics. The flame will now begin its
journey in a relay to light the cauldron that will mark the opening for
the Summer Games in July.
Dignitaries and members of the public gathered in the stadium, where
the earliest recorded Games were held in 776 BC, to witness the
lighting of the flame.
In a choreographed event high in symbolism inspired by the traditions
and values of ancient Greece, actresses dressed as ancient priestesses
entered the stadium to gracefully accompany the head priestess to the
Temple of Hera, where religious ceremonies are thought to have taken
place in ancient Greece and where the lighting ceremony is held.
Asking for the help of the god of light, Apollo, the head priestess lit
the flame with the help of the rays of the sun, holding a fuel-filled
torch to a parabolic mirror.
The first such choreographed ritual was first established for the 1936
Berlin Games with the costumes and torch designs capturing the minds of
creatives.
In Ancient Olympia, home of the ancient Olympics for more than 1,000
years, a flame was thought to burn perpetually on a shrine, symbolizing
the eternal spirit of the Games: the enduring pursuit of excellence and
human unity.
Over 10,000 torchbearers and thousands of miles
The first runner of the Olympic torch relay is Greek Olympic gold
medalist rower Stefanos Ntouskos.
Speaking to CNN ahead of the ceremony, Ntouskos described being the
first torchbearer as “a great honor.”
“As a Greek, I have been raised with images of the relay and it is
incredible to be here in ancient Olympia today and to be receiving a
flame that will travel all the way to the Paris Olympics,” he added.
Ntouskos said he was a little bit anxious ahead of competing at Paris
2024 but also very excited.
“I have done many races and I know how difficult it is, but I believe
I will have some great moments there,” he said.
The first part of the relay is a 5,000-kilometer (roughly 3,106 miles)
journey across Greece over 11 days, with over 600 torchbearers from
elite athletes to members of the public are expected to take part.
The finishing line is the Panathenaic Stadium in the heart of Athens
– the historic site of the inaugural modern Olympics in 1896 –
where, in a handover ceremony on April 26, the flame will be passed to
the Paris Olympic organizers.
It will then embark to the French port city of Marseille on the
120-year-old, three-masted Belem, a historic vessel that began life as
a cargo ship transporting sugar from the West Indies.
Relays over the years have included many adventurous journeys; the
flame has been right around the world, gone into space, traveled
underwater and scaled Everest.
It is expected to arrive in France on May 8, where the next leg of the
relay will begin.Over the years, the torch has been carried by hundreds
of thousands of people. In this journey, it is expected to be passed
from hand to hand by some 10,000 torchbearers and reach the Olympic
cauldron in Paris on July 26, where it will remain lit until the
Closing Ceremony two weeks later.
The flame will also light the Paralympic Games, which take place August
28 to September 8, where 1,000 torchbearers will help relay the torch
across 50 French towns and cities.
The French have promised a lavish Games and they are the first to have
announced an Opening Ceremony to be held outside of a stadium setting.
According to local organizers, the initial plan is for about 10,500
athletes to parade through the heart of the French capital along the
river Seine.
France recently announced that due to security reasons, down to roughly
324,000 people from an original 600,000.
In an interview Monday, French President , due to security concerns, a
Plan B is being explored that could see the ceremony moved to a stadium
instead. He also spoke about his intentions to promote the ideals of
the Olympic Truce.
The ancient Games served not only as a platform for athletic
competition but also as a symbol of unity and promoting peace. During
the Games, a sacred truce was observed. The purpose of the Olympic
Truce was to provide a safe passage for the athletes and spectators
traveling to and from Olympia.
There have been many efforts to revive the Olympic Truce which has been
invoked as a universal goal by the UN regularly since 1993. So far,
there has been .
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