the sailboat “Belem” sails to France with the Olympic flame on board

The Olympic flame is on its way to France, three months before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games (OG) in Paris, scheduled for July 26. She is on board the wooden mast Belem, which cast off on Saturday, April 27, at the Greek port of Piraeus, near Athens, and began its navigation towards France.

The sailboat is expected on May 8 in Marseille, from where the torch relay across France starts, until the opening ceremony. On Friday, the President of the Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Tony Estanguet, symbolically received the flame in Athens from the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Spyros Capralos.

“Now we’re going [la] bring back to France with this boat Belemwhich also dates from 1896 »the year of the first modern Olympic Games, “What a wonderful coincidence!” »he exclaimed.

Florent Manaudou first torchbearer in France

THE Belem will take the Corinth Canal, a feat of engineering from the 19th century^e century built with contributions from French banks and engineers. Then, before entering the old port, in Marseille, Belem will parade in the port of the Phocaean city and will be accompanied by 1024 boats.

Entertainment is planned on land and at sea throughout the day. Upon arrival in Marseille, swimmer Florent Manaudou – Olympic champion in the 50m freestyle in London in 2012 – will be the first bearer of the flame. “It was obvious to us that the flame would return to France in the hands of an Olympian, one of the most symbolic of his generation.”, Tony Estanguet explained on Friday. Florent Manaudou’s sister, Laure – Olympic champion in the 400m freestyle in Athens in 2004 – was also the first French relay runner in Olympia on 16 April.

The Olympic torch relay starts on May 9 in Marseille, with stops planned at the Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica, the Cité de la Castellane, Zinedine Zidane’s home and the Stade-Vélodrome. It will then cross the country, passing through the Antilles and French Polynesia, and will arrive in Paris on the day of the opening ceremony, July 26.