The Olympic flame is sailing to France aboard the historic boat ‘Belem’

He Belemhistoric French three-masted sailing ship, set sail this morning from the port of Piraeus, near Athens, and began sailing for France with the flame of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on board.

Looking forward to the sailboat arrived next May 8 in Marseillewhere the journey of the torch relay will begin across the territory of France, and will arrive in Paris on July 26in conjunction with the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

“It was a tremendous emotion,” expressed on this occasion Tony Estanguetpresident of the JOP organizing committee, which had fire was symbolically received the day before in Athensfrom the hands of the president of the Hellenic Olympic committee, Spyros Capralos.

“Now we will take it (the Olympic flame) back to France with this ship, the Belem, which dates back to 1896”year of the first Olympic Games of the modern era, “What a great opportunity!”. he added.

The Olympic flame, lit on April 16 in Olympiawas given to the French organizers yesterday Friday during a ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.

Now it must reach France, where it will arrive on May 8 via Marseille, city ​​founded by the Greeks in 600 BC

Before that, on Sunday, the ship will pass through the Corinth Canala 19th century engineering feat built with the input of French banks and engineers.

Before entering the Old Port, Belem will park at the port of the city of Foca and It will be accompanied by 1,024 vessels. Land and sea entertainment is planned throughout the day.

The next day the Olympic relay starts in the city, with a planned stop at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde or the Stade Vélodrome.

Estanguet himself announced yesterday that the swimmer Florent Manaudou is first brought the olympic flame arriving in the city of Marseille.

Then he will cross the country, visit to the Antilles and French Polynesiain Paris, where the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will be held on July 26.