The Olympic and Paralympic torch for Paris 2024 was unveiled on July 25 and presented hours later on a boat on the river Seine, marking one year to go until the start of the Games. The torch was first held by Tony Estanguet, the president of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee. It was then passed over to Jamaican retired sprinter and running legend Usain Bolt, who helped kick off the torch relay ceremony. Bolt spoke from the boat that will be used by the French delegation during the Paris 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony. He won eight Olympic gold medals during his career and is the world record holder in the men’s 100m, 200m, and 4x100m events.
For the first time in the history of the modern Games, the opening ceremony will not take place in a stadium but on the river that flows through the host city, with athletes parading in boats in front of thousands of spectators.
The Paris 2024 Torch, manufactured by ArcelorMittal, was created with French designer Mathieu Lehanneur. The artist drew inspiration from three themes of Paris 2024: equality, water and peacefulness. The flame will open the celebrations in Marseille on May 8, 2024, and will then visit all the regions of France. After the closing ceremony for the Olympic Games, the flame will once again light the cauldron during the opening ceremony for the Paralympic Games on Aug. 28, 2024.
