Greece hand over Olympic flame to France

Exactly three months before the Paris Olympic Games begin, the Olympic flame has been handed over, transitioning from its Greek origins to the French stage, signifying the next chapter in its journey towards Paris.

The ceremony, hosted Friday by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, unfolded in Athens' Panathenaic Stadium, which hosted the first Olympic Games of the modern era in 1896. 

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will begin on 26 July and continue until 11 August. Thereafter, the Paralympic Games will take place from 28 August until 8 September.

With the Greek stage now over, the Olympic flame will board the historic French three-masted ship, Belem on Saturday (27 April). The voyage across the Mediterranean will then begin, symbolising the enduring friendship between Greece and France. On 8 May, the flame will arrive in the port of Marseille, the oldest city in France, founded some 2,600 years ago by Greek sailors, heralding the start of celebratory festivities in the host nation.

Around 10,000 torchbearers will carry the Olympic flame over the course of 69 days. The relay route will pass through more than 450 cities across 65 regions in France, with special visits planned to six overseas territories: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, French Polynesia, Réunion and New Caledonia.