Paris 2024 Torch relay

[sebastien1214]

Well, now that I'm not the only one who thinks an additional thread would be useful, let me start the thread for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relay. (two separate threads might be too much ?)

[sebastien1214]

A quick reminder of the journey of the Olympic flame on French soil:

And that of the Paralympic flame:

Once arrived in Calais, the Paralympic flame will be divided into 12 different flames and sent to the 4 corners of France.

In the meantime, for the moment, in France all eyes are on Wednesday, May 8, when the Belem will dock in Marseille with the Olympic flame in its midst.

[Cyriln]

Here is the cauldron that will be lighted at the end of each day during the relay. (It is NOT the final cauldron lighted during the Opening Ceremony)

[Sir Rols]

Wow! It really is starting to become real and imminent! I’m starting to feel the anticipation mont for the games more than I’ve felt in a long time. 

Sure hope the arrival of the flame ignites Olymp févr in France. To our French members hope you all enjoy and soak up this time, t’s becoming real!

[yoshi]

Not sure if that's really pretty or really dull... maybe both, probably needs to be seen lit. Might not be the ceremony design but a ring of fire theme does have a very possible way to make a distinctive cauldron...

(Although you could possibly say an Olympic ring of fire was London's idea first...ok Athens' idea /joke )

[yoshi]

35 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

Wow! It really is starting to become real and imminent! I’m starting to feel the anticipation mont for the games more than I’ve felt in a long time. 

Sure hope the arrival of the flame ignites Olymp févr in France. To our French members hope you all enjoy and soak up this time, t’s becoming real!

Yup, haven't felt like this for any Olympics, summer or winter, since 2012 - looking forward to watching the real excitement catch France from Wednesday as it really does become real. It feels like this is our reward for getting through all the sh*t of the last Olympic cycle, the pandemic disaster, Beijing, scandals and Bach's dealings (although they sadly might not be over). Time to enjoy the Olympics again

[Cyriln]

As it has already be said, the torchbearers won't be able to keep their torch as they will be reused. However, they'll still be be able to keep something: each torch will have an "heart", a metal ring placed in the middle of the torch that can be kept by each torchbearer.

[yoshi]

Another ring. Beginning to sense a strong theme...

[baron-pierreIV]

[yoshi]

The Olympic app now has a story on the relay cauldron - can't paste a link to the whole thing but this passage intrigued me:

"The torch, the torch relay cauldron and the Olympic cauldron are not separate objects, they are chapters in one great story. Each embodies the spirit of the Paris Games," said French designer Mathieu Lehanneur.

 

"If the torch is a sacred fire that is passed on, the cauldron is the object around which we gather and which unites our energies."

I can't be the only person who's seen that chapters line & thought "tiny ring, big ring, massive ring" surely. The only thing I'm not sure fits is the location because aren't they saying it'll be outside the Louvre rather than in the Seine?

[Cyriln]

It is planned to be close to a fountain called Le Grand Bassin Rond, the large round basin. Maybe a giant ring around/over the basin that could indeed be seen by far...

[sebastien1214]

7 minutes ago, Cyriln said:

It is planned to be close to a fountain called Le Grand Bassin Rond, the large round basin. Maybe a giant ring around/over the basin that could indeed be seen by far...

Another funny coincidence: the base of the “ring of fire” used for the Olympic flame stopover cities is supposed to represent the ripple of water (with the flame reflecting on the “water”). So, if for the Louvre, it's above a fountain...

[sebastien1214]

For those who wish to see the arrival of the flame in Marseille live on Wednesday (because it seems that unfortunately only French television is broadcasting it live) you can try the franceinfo live Youtube from 2 p.m. French time; It seems to work without a VPN. (conversely, some difficulties were reported to me for the France Télévisions site; even if obviously with a French VPN it will work without problems)

 

[Bear]

Live stream for the arrival ceremony has been set up on the Olympics channel:

 

[yoshi]

2 hours ago, Cyriln said:

It is planned to be close to a fountain called Le Grand Bassin Rond, the large round basin. Maybe a giant ring around/over the basin that could indeed be seen by far...

"Close to" or "right on top of" lol  I don't know it, never been to Paris but if it's what I'm imagining (big circular pond) then it really fits the theme. Would it be visible from the main Trocadero ceremony if it was big enough? 

As the source of those problems with France Televisions site, I should caveat that it too might work without a VPN, because it might count the same as news? Either way it looks like there'll be a choice of YouTube streams, presumably the IOC one will have English commentary too. Given the scale of the event & its significance for the Olympics in Europe, I'm surprised BBC3 didn't pick it up as a way to fill the awkward gap between Eurovision semi finals on the Wednesday...

[Cyriln]

10 minutes ago, yoshi said:

Would it be visible from the main Trocadero ceremony if it was big enough? 

It's almost 3 km away so it gotta be very tall.

[yoshi]

Hmm, must say it's a very odd place to put a cauldron bearing in mind they don't actually need a special one for public view like Rio or Tokyo because of the location of the lighting - has it been officially confirmed or was it just a strong rumour? I always expected it'd be in the middle gap of the Eiffel Tower, but obviously there's no water under that. I guess it could just go above the river, that's water 

[Cyriln]

It's not official but all medias agree on it.

But, according to the same sources when the news was released late March, it was still unknown if that cauldron would be the only one or if there is a "ceremonial cauldron" at the Trocadéro.

[DamC]

On 5/7/2024 at 1:25 AM, yoshi said:

Hmm, must say it's a very odd place to put a cauldron bearing in mind they don't actually need a special one for public view like Rio or Tokyo because of the location of the lighting - has it been officially confirmed or was it just a strong rumour? I always expected it'd be in the middle gap of the Eiffel Tower, but obviously there's no water under that. I guess it could just go above the river, that's water 

 

This location has been picked because it's easily accessible to the public, in the "heart of Paris", and can be secured since it's inside a public garden where you can have security forces stationed at each entrance. I assume this area was chosen instead of Trocadero because the latter will already be busy with lots of media being based there and all the logistics of the opening ceremony and the nightly celebration of medal winners

[Cyriln]

[yoshi]

Looks like a lovely day for it - it's good to see such interest, the arrival of the torch in the host country is actually a really big milestone in the build up, & a big event like this is what it deserves as a form of opening ceremony for the relay

Edit: I don't know if the coverage is or will be identical to that on the main France 2, but here's a link to the YouTube stream of Franceinfo, which even we rosbifs can watch freely:

Franceinfo

Edited May 8, 2024 by yoshi
Found my way to the stream

[Cyriln]

1 hour ago, yoshi said:

Edit: I don't know if the coverage is or will be identical to that on the main France 2, but here's a link to the YouTube stream of Franceinfo, which even we rosbifs can watch freely

They're both showing the same thing right now (France 2 was supposed to take a break from the parade now, but finally, they're staying live from Marseille all day) but I don't think the concert tonight will be on Franceinfo.

[yoshi]

Lol sorry Sebastien, I forgot you embedded the YouTube link - I have the board set to go straight to the last unread post on a thread 

[yoshi]

Marseille looks lovely! It has a pretty poor reputation over here, probably because of football, but it's really showing itself well today. Hopefully it helps improve that reputation & the images from the rest of the relay will show off the lesser heralded parts of France just as well

Edited May 8, 2024 by yoshi

[yoshi]

Yup, that is how you welcome a flame properly  Land's End looks a bit lame now...who was the last guy who lit the cauldron? I was expecting Zinedine but it wasn't him. Cauldron looks very pretty on stage tbf, especially lit.