The belem

French President Emmanuel Macron: The Olympic flame of Paris 2024 arrived 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 as France's Olympic swimming champion Florent Manaudou, carrying the torch, walked down from the majestic three-masted ship Belem under the watchful eyes of French President Emmanuel Macron.

An adopted Marseillais, Manaudou symbolically passed the torch to Nantenin Keita, Paralympic champion and four-time medalist in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. Mirroring the event in Athens, where French Olympic and Paralympic champions Gabriella Papadakis and Beatrice Hess passed the torch, Paris 2024 chose two Olympic and Paralympic athletes to carry the Flame to Marseille. This first handover on French soil symbolizes Paris 2024's ambition to unify the Olympic and Paralympic Games, reports Xinhua.