Photo: Collected
The Olympic flame for the upcoming Paris Summer Olympics was lit on Tuesday (16 April) in the Greek town of Archaia Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games that date back to the 8th century BC.
The Olympic flame is traditionally lit in the ancient Temple of Hera using a parabolic mirror that focuses the sun rays, but this time the torch was lit using a flame kept from a Monday rehearsal due to cloudy weather.
The flame-lighting ceremony was attended by Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, President of European Olympic Committees Spyros Capralos, the chief of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, Tony Estanguet, French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Archaia Olympia Mayor Aristides Panagiotopoulos and others.
The event set off an 11-day torch relay that will culminate on April 26 at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, where the flame will be transferred to the organizing committee of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Summer Olympics are slated from July 26 to August 11 and the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8 in the French capital.
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