JO 2024: Presenter Nikos Aliagas chosen to host the Olympic flame lighting ceremony taking place today Tuesday in Greece
"Star Academy" presenter Nikos Aliagas has been chosen to host the Olympic flame lighting ceremony in Greece.
As tradition dictates, the torch will be lit today, Tuesday, April 16th at 10:30 am in the ancient stadium of Olympia in Greece, in the presence of Greek officials and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The first relay will be given to Greek Stefanos Douskos, Olympic rowing champion in Tokyo in 2021.
Stefanos Douskos, as the first relay runner, will symbolize the link between the Tokyo 2021 Games and the Paris 2024 Games
He will then pass the torch to a well-known French athlete, former swimming star Laure Manaudou. She will be the first French torchbearer for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Note that swimmer Laure Manaudou has participated in three editions of the Olympic Games (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012) and has two medals to her name, having won the bronze medal in the 100m backstroke in addition to her victory in the 400m freestyle. She will represent French sporting excellence and enthusiasm for the Paris 2024 Games.
The Olympic torch relay in Greece is an important moment, where relay runners of all ages and backgrounds carry the flame across the country, symbolizing unity and peace.
After its lighting, the Olympic flame will begin its long journey with ten days of relays in Greece before crossing the Mediterranean on the three-masted ship Belem starting on April 27th to arrive in France in Marseille on May 8th.
The torch relay in France will involve thousands of relay runners across the country, creating a link between the French people and the Paris 2024 Games.
Note that the Olympic flame is lit using the sun's rays at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece, using a parabolic mirror, following a tradition that dates back to the ancient Olympic Games.
