By Casey Murphy on SwimSwam
French Olympic champion swimmer Florent Manaudou had the honor of being France’s first torch carrier in France ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The torch made landfall in mainland France at Marseille, where Manaudou lives, trains, and owns a restaurant.
An estimated 150,000 people waited for the Olympic flame to make its debut in Marseille’s Old Port, where it arrived on a 19th-century sailing ship on May 8th after its twelve-day trip from Greece. From there, Manaudou had the honor of carrying the torch to shore.
The French national anthem, La Marseillaise, played at the ceremony and planes drew the five Olympic rings and the colors of France’s flag (red, blue, and white) in the sky.
“As a former athlete, I know how important the start of a competition is. That is why we chose Marseille, because it’s definitely one of the cities most in love with sports,” Tony Estanguet said. Estanguet is a former Olympian in Canoeing and the Paris 2024 Olympics Organizing Committee President.
Manaudou represented France at the 2012 London Olympics where he won the 50 free (21.34). At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he earned silver in the 50 free (21.41) and the 400 free relay (3:10.53). He went on to get silver again in 2021 at the Tokyo Games in the 50 free (21.55).
Manaudou’s older sister Laure Manaudou also carried the torch for the Paris Games. She was the first French athlete to receive it in Greece. Laure Manaudou was the first woman from France to ever win gold in swimming at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She won the 400 free (4:05.34).
The torch will continue its travels across France, including several overseas territories, as part of the Olympic Torch Relay, reaching historical sites like the Lascaux caves and the Palace of Versailles. The torch will travel about 7,500 miles before settling in Paris in July for the Games.
Photos and Videos of the Arrival
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