Torch and sandals: What to know about the flame-lighting ceremony in Greece for the Paris Olympics
by Nicholas Paphitis
Apr 16, 2024
4 minutes
A priestess prays to a dead sun god in front of a fallen Greek temple. If the sky is clear, a flame spurts that will burn in Paris throughout the world’s top sporting event. Speeches ensue.
On Tuesday, the flame for this summer’s Paris Olympics will be lit at the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games in southern Greece in a meticulously choreographed ceremony.
It will then be carried through Greece for more than 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) before being handed over to French organizers at the Athens venue used for the first modern Olympics in 1896.
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