Olympic Flame Arrives in France Aboard Historic Ship for Summer Games

Paris — Crowds started gathering early Wednesday morning around Marseille's Old Port as a 19th century sailing ship carrying the Olympic flame appeared on the horizon. More than 1,000 boats accompanied the Belem, a three-mast schooner, as it approached the harbor of France's second-largest city in a slow maritime parade on calm seas under a clear blue sky.

The flame will be brought ashore Wednesday evening by four-time French Olympic medalist, swimmer Florent Manaudou. A surprise guest will then take it and light the Olympic cauldron at the Old Port in front of an expected crowd of 150,000 people.

City officials said a billion more people were expected to watch the event live on television around the world — a first spectacle for fans less than three months before the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics kick off on July 26.

Several sports stars will take part in the parade, including former NBA star Tony Parker and Ivory Coast soccer great Didier Drogba, as well as charity and entertainment figures. French President Emmanuel Macron was among those in Marseille to watch the arrival. Fireworks and a free open-air concert were set to continue into the night.

The flame was transported from Greece aboard the Belem. During the 12-day voyage, the flame was very much a part of everyday life on the historic vessel. The crew even brought it to the table during meals and guarded it carefully as rough weather whipped up wild waves.

The festivities continue in Marseille on Thursday, when the flame will begin a 68-day, 7,500-mile journey through France, taking in both the mainland and France's overseas territories. Some 11,000 torchbearers will carry it through 65 French territories, stopping at more than 450 towns and cities along the way, as well as many iconic and historic sites.

From Marseille, it will be taken across southern France, including a crossing to the island of Corsica, before heading to southwest France, up the west coast to Normandy and then on to Brittany. From there, the flame will take to the seas again to visit Guadeloupe and Martinique. Another torch will be presented in the far-flung territories of French Guiana, Réunion and French Polynesia.

On the mainland, the Olympic flame will visit Lascaux in the southwest, where ancient paintings cover cave walls; the medieval fortress of Carcassonne; Versailles Palace; Mont Saint-Michel; and the castles of the Loire Valley. It will travel through vineyards and visit some of the Olympic sites.

Throughout the journey, the Olympic torch relay, which commenced in Greece last month, will shine a light on some of the key figures who have inspired and contributed to French culture, from Joan of Arc to Charles de Gaulle and singer Edith Piaf.

The relay will culminate in Paris on July 26 for the opening ceremony on the River Seine — marking the first-ever Olympic curtain-raiser held outside of a stadium.

"It's something we've been eagerly anticipating for a long time," stated chief organizer Tony Estanguet on Monday, referencing the 100 years since Paris last hosted the Summer Games. "The Games are returning to their roots."

France, the host of the 1900 Games as well, considers itself a central figure in the modern Olympic movement. It was a French aristocrat, Pierre de Coubertin, who reintroduced the idea of the Games that were practiced by the Greeks until the 4th century B.C.

The meticulously planned ceremony on Wednesday serves as an initial trial for the French organizing committee, which has faced criticism over ticket prices and disruptions to venue towns, particularly Paris, where ongoing public works have affected the cityscape for the past two years.

Security remains a top priority, with the recent event in Marseille also serving as a test. France is currently on high alert following reports that the same ISIS affiliate responsible for an attack on a Moscow concert hall in March had intentions to target France as well.