Olympics flame to arrive in France amid heightened security measures

The Olympic flame, lit last month in Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Olympics, will be reaching French soilat Marseille's Old Port on Wednesday (May 8), amid heightened security. The torch arrives 79 days before the Paris 2024 Games opening ceremony and presents the first biggest security challenge to the French authorities.

As many as 150,000 people are expected to welcome the Olympics flame, according to a Reuters report. Fireworks and a free concert will form part of the programme which will be broadcast live on French TV. Keeping in mind the large public presence, 6,000 law enforcement officers have been pressed into service.

Four-time Olympic medal-winning swimmer Florent Manaudou will have the honour of being the first torch bearer during the event.

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"It's something we've been waiting for a very long time," chief organiser Tony Estanguet said Monday, referring to the 100 years since Paris last staged the Games. "The Games are coming home."

Flame lit in Greece

The torch for the 2024 Paris Olympics was lit on April 16, marking the finalstretch of the preparations for the Games.The choreographed ceremony was inspired by the traditions and values of ancient Greece.

Actresses dressed as ancient priestesses entered the stadium, accompanying the head priestess to the Temple of Hera where religious ceremonies were undertaken and the flame lit.

Greek actress Mary Mina played the part of the head priestess and lit the torch using a backup flame instead of a parabolic mirror due to cloudy skies, for the start of a relay in Greece and France.

The ceremony took place after French President Emmanuel Macron said backup plans were in place to relocate the opening ceremony in case of increased terror threats.

“If we think there are risks, depending on our analysis of the context, we have fallback scenarios. There are plans B and C and we are preparing them in parallel," said Macron in a television interview.

“We’ll be analysing the situation in real-time and preparing a ceremony that would be limited to Trocadéro, where we wouldn’t use the whole of the Seine, or even a ceremony that would bring the public to the Stade de France, which is what has been done traditionally,” Macron added.

The organisers have planned a 'world first' opening ceremony, scheduled for July 26, when over 300,000 people are expected to watch an armada of boats carrying national teams down the Seine River.

(With inputs from agencies)