The torch for the 2024 Paris Olympics arrived at the port of Marseille on Wednesday, amid tight security and commotion, aboard a historic French-built tall ship.
The torch rode on the French barque belem A traditional lighting ceremony was held in the ruins of the ancient city of Olympia, followed by a ceremony in Piraeus late last month. The ship departed Athens on April 27 and headed west to Marseille, arriving at the inner port on Wednesday at approximately 7pm. belem It received a rousing reception with a flotilla of yachts, fireworks, an aerobatic show by the French Air Force, and an enthusiastic crowd of 225,000, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
Les Jeux entrents dans la vie des Français! pic.twitter.com/OLbeZXijzt
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 8, 2024
Given the size and symbolism of the gathering, security preparations were thorough. Islamist terrorist groups have targeted public spaces in France in the past, and authorities took no chances. More than 6,000 law enforcement officers participated, including counter-drone teams, bomb squads, and elite tactical teams. It was an early test of the security apparatus French authorities are building for the game to counter threats ranging from cyber attacks to suicide bombings. (So far, public sector unions in France have caused the most disruption, starting with the garbage pile-up caused by Marseille's garbage strike.)
The ship that delivered the torch to Marseille is designated as a national monument of France. The ship is a historic steel-hulled three-masted barque built in Nantes in 1896, the same year the Olympic Games were revived in Athens. After finding success in her career transporting sugar, chocolate and rum from South America to France, belem She was purchased by the Duke of Westminster and converted into a large yacht. Irish brewer Sir Arthur Guinness purchased the ship from the Duke seven years later and owned it until his death in 1949. The ship is now owned by a French foundation and was specially restored for the Olympic torch ceremony with government support.