The Olympic flame has reached France, arriving in the southern port city of Marseille under heavy security, with just 79 days until the Paris Games begin.
The torch completed a 12-day voyage from Greece aboard the Belem, a historic three-masted sailing ship that is 128 years old. France’s 2012 Olympic champion in men’s 50m freestyle swimming, Florent Manaudou, brought the torch ashore.
It was then passed to Nantenin Keita, a Paralympic track athlete and 400m champion from the 2016 Rio Games, before Marseille-born rapper Jul ignited the Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron. An estimated crowd of 150,000 people witnessed the event, including President Emmanuel Macron.
“It marks the end of preparations – the Games arrive in the life of the French people. The flame is here. We can be proud,” said Macron.
The Olympic flame relay will set off from the Mediterranean coastal city on Thursday and travel around France and to six overseas territories before arriving in Paris for the opening ceremony on 26 July.
A flotilla of more than 1,000 boats welcomed the Belem to Marseille.
Officials said 6,000 law enforcement officers, canine units and elite forces snipers would be on patrol.
“Life goes on in Marseille but in great security conditions,” said interior minister Gerald Darmanin. “It’s an unprecedented level of security.”
France heightened its security threat level last October following the fatal stabbing of a teacher, amid worries that ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza could escalate threats.
In April, Mr. Darmanin mentioned a threat to European sporting events that had been “publicly expressed” online by the Islamic State group.
Tony Estanguet, the president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, stated that choosing Marseille as the host for the boat parade was a natural decision given its status as France’s oldest city and its Greek origins.