The excitement is heating up! 🔥 Three months before the grand opening of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Greece has officially handed over the Olympic flame to the organizers of the Games. The epic ceremony took place at Athens' iconic Panathenaic Stadium, where the first modern Olympics were held way back in 1896. Talk about coming full circle! 🏛️
The flame made a dramatic entrance into the stadium, carried by Greek Olympian Antigoni Ntrismpioti. She passed it on to Gabriella Papadakis, the French figure skating champion with Greek roots (cool combo, right?), along with French Paralympic swimming legend Béatrice Hess and Greek water polo silver medalist Ioannis Fountoulis. The high priestess then lit the stadium's cauldron and handed the final torch to Greek Olympic Committee President Spyros Capralos. It was a moment straight out of a movie! 🎥✨
Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet received the torch from Capralos, marking the end of the flame's 11-day journey through Greece. Next stop: France! 🇫🇷
The adventure continues as the flame sets sail on a 19th-century ship across the Mediterranean Sea 🌊. It's leaving Greece on Saturday and is expected to arrive in Marseille on May 8th. There's going to be a massive welcome party with around 150,000 spectators at the Old Port of Marseille. Sounds like the place to be! 🎉
The countdown is on! The Paris Olympic Games will run from July 26 to August 11. Get ready for an unforgettable summer of sports, culture, and unity. Let the games begin! 🥇🌍
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
