MARSEILLE, France, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic flame of Paris 2024 touched down at the renowned Old Port of Marseille amid the radiant hues of the sunset on Wednesday evening.
More than 150,000 spectators gathered for the grand ceremony in the harbor as France's Olympic swimming champion Florent Manaudou carried the torch and walked down the majestic three-masted ship Belem, under the watchful eyes of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Olympic flame for the Paris 2024 Games was lit in Greece on April 16, before it was officially handed to France at the renowned Panathenaic Stadium on April 26. It left Athens aboard Belem the next morning and completed a 12-day voyage before arriving in Marseille.
The torch relay will start on Thursday and more than 10,000 people will take part before the flame reaches Paris through some iconic places across the country, from Mont-Saint-Michel to D-Day landing beaches in Normandy and the Versailles Palace.
The Olympic cauldron will be lit at the opening ceremony which will be held on the River Seine on July 26. ■