Parasports wins team relay
Given the particularity of the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay, a mass relay took place this morning between Avenue Général de Gaulle and Les Halles de Merville in Lorient, dedicated to the parasport movement which has been growing steadily since the beginning of 2020.Number Thanks to the efforts of the French Federation of Sports for the Disabled, the Olympic Torch Relay of the 21st century came to a close. Together with 14-year-old wheelchair fencer Léonie Salieu, who served as relay captain, 23 members of the Federation's clubs carried the Olympic Torch, symbolizing a more inclusive society where sport can be enjoyed by all.
Among them were para-equestrian Wendy Bazille, para-football and para-cycling athlete Laura Kerschuzan, François James, who works in deaf sports and has competed in two Deaflympics in basketball, and para-cyclist and club president Gregory Lelais.
More than 124 torchbearers took turns lighting up the Morbihan. The first to receive this honour at the start of the day was Arnaud Flavoro, a table tennis player from Lorient. Many ordinary people also took part, sharing their passion for sport and their desire to convey the fundamental Olympic values (inclusion, solidarity and diversity). These included swimmer Cléo Renoux, member of the French adaptive sports team; Bénédicte Le Moal, who raises awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer through the annual sporting event “La Vanétèse”; and Florian Tournebies, goalkeeper for an inclusive football club in London, who dedicates a lot of effort to fighting homophobia.
Eugénie Le Sommer ends the day in style
Two personalities well known to spectators and audiences were also among today's torchbearers: the well-known journalist François-Xavier Ménage and Olympic expert Alexandre Boillon. Another famous person had the honour of lighting the celebratory flame: Eugénie Le Sommer. The international female footballer is also the all-time leading scorer for the French women's national team, having won the Champions League eight times and the French Championship 12 times. Eugénie started her football career with a club in the Morbihan region, where her family still lives. Her presence at the celebration venue brought great excitement to the spectators there.
Tomorrow, the torch relay will head to another region of Brittany, Finistère. The torch will visit popular spots for surfers (Pointe de la Torche), hikers (Pointe du Raz, Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts) and the historic centre of Quimper. The day will end in Brest, where the cauldron will be lit. The torch relay will then board the Maxi Banque Populaire XI trimaran. This gigantic multihull, one of the fastest sailing ships in the world, will set off on an unprecedented transatlantic journey, which will see the torch relay light up five French overseas territories.
