Greece is preparing for the Olympic flame-lighting ceremony and the Olympic torch relay that will officially kick off the 2024 Paris Olympic Games countdown.
The Olympic Flame-lighting ceremony will take place on April 16, with High Priestess Mary Mina using the traditional curved mirror to light the Olympic Torch using the sun’s rays.
The High Priestess will then deliver the Olympic Flame to the first runner in the Torch Relay, rowing Olympic medalist Stefanos Douskos, at the edge of the ancient stadium in Olympia, kicking off the 11-day relay in Greece.
The Olympic Flame will be handed over to the organizers of the Paris Games on April 26, in Athens, spend the night in the French Embassy and then depart for France on the ship “Belem” the following day.
The ship is due to arrive in the port of Marseille on May 8, where the French section of the Torch Relay will begin, lasting 68 days until it culminates in the lighting of the Olympic Flame at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Games on July 26.
The Olympic torch relay program in Greece
From April 16 to 26, the Olympic Flame will travel throughout Greece. The torch relay program:
On the first day, Tuesday, April 16 the torch relay will start at ancient Olympia and will continue to the towns of Amaliada, Ilida, Andravida, Gastouni, Pyrgos, Zaharo, Filiatra and Pylos.
Starting from Pylos on the second day, Wednesday, April 17, the relay will reach Methoni, Sparta, Tegea, Tripoli, Mycenae, Nafplion, Nemea and Piraeus.
From the port of Piraeus on Thursday, April 18, the flame will be transported by ferry to Crete and then by air to Kastellorizo island. It will return to Crete on the same day to continue the relay to the towns of Agios Nikolaos, Knossos, Heraklion, Rethymno and Chania.
The Olympic flame will return overnight to Piraeus.
On the fourth day, Friday, April 19, the flame will fly to the islands of Santorini, Naxos, and Paros before returning to Athens.
On Saturday, April 20, the relay will start from the Acropolis and continue to Delphi, Lamia, and Volos.
On the sixth day, Sunday, April 21, the Olympic relay will leave Volos for Thessaloniki passing through the towns of Larissa, Trikala, Kalambaka, and Meteora.
From Thessaloniki on the seventh day, the relay will take the Olympic Flame to ancient Phillipi, Kavala, Xanthi, Komitini, and Alexandroupolis.
On the eighth day, Tuesday, April 23, the flame will travel to the towns of Eleftheroupolis, Veria, Vergina, Aegai and Ioannina.
From Ionanina the relay on its ninth day will continue to the port of Igoumenitsa and on to the island of Corfu.
On Thursday, April 25, it will start in Corfu and move on to Messolongi, Patra and Corinth.
Finally on the eleventh day, Friday, April 26, the relay will arrive at the Panathenaic Stadium of Athens after passing Megara, Marathon, Lavrion, and Sounion.
At the Panathenaic Stadium, the handover ceremony to Paris Olympic Games organizers will take place.
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