Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Olympic Marseille, a fantastic Games venue

Well-launched Games. Wednesday evening, Marseille sang, jumped, danced, lost their voice with Alonzo and Soprano. Right next to the Belem, which had a hard time recovering from its emotions and getting to sleep after twelve days of crossing. Thursday morning, the Old Port dismantled the installations and watched the party favors of a festive evening fly away during which the waves of spectators entering or leaving the premises rushed back and dangerously flowed back into the Canebière when, at Notre -Dame-de-la-Garde, Basile Boli launches the first stage of the torch relay (“It makes the heart beat and it’s fantastic, it’s the Olympic flame, the symbol of living together, of everything that 'we can hope in the world').

At the arrival of the first segment, Place Estrangin-Pastré, at the intersection of Rue Paradis, it looks like a stage of the Tour de France. Without the caravan and its “goodies”. But with vehicles in the colors of the partners. And the distribution of small tricolor flags, like on big evenings at the Stade de France. On the side of the road, the pleasure of shared waiting. The discussions that take place, bounce back. “I would have liked Zidane to light the flame,” assures a spectator.

The rumor precedes the flame, accompanies it, triggers applause. The furtive passage offered, a few seconds snatched, small ephemeral pleasures. Click-clack, it’s in the box. The first looped segment is erased. The place is getting ready to regain its calm. The second is in the starting blocks. At the Palais du Pharo, a guard of honor awaits the torchbearers. Always under good escort, with an imposing procession of motorcycles, bicycles, scooters and cars.

“It’s part of the Games. We have said since the beginning of this project that security was the first condition, that we could not do anything without being able to guarantee security. There is an important security system, commensurate with the ambition of these Games. We want things to go well. Thank you to the police for mobilizing to guarantee this security,” summarizes Tony Estanguet, the president of Paris 2024, who assures, regarding the demonstrations that could disrupt the journey of the flame: “I am pretty sure that that's going to be the case. This is still the case, it will also be the case in our country. We must accept this, calmly, serenely. Even if from time to time we consider that this is not the place to make demands and defend causes that have nothing to do with the Games, we can understand why some are tempted to do so with regard to the fund. resonance that this offers them. You have to keep your cool. »

Also read: Amélie Oudéa-Castéra: “This flame must light hearts”

Shortly before noon, the crowd gathered in front of the town hall to witness the passing of the baton in front of an audience of political and sporting figures: the mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, Tony Estanguet, but also and above all Didier Drogba, already present on Wednesday in the Old Port for the arrival of the Olympic flame and announced at the start of the evening at the Vélodrome with Jean-Pierre Papin, Éric Di Meco and Soprano for the lighting of the cauldron. The sight of the former international footballer and OM player caused a real crowd, temporarily preventing the passage of the procession escorting the torch and requiring the intervention of the police to contain the spectators.

At the end of a long wait, all under a largely sunny sky, the dancer Maryam Kaba finally appeared, passing the torch to Matthieu Gudet, decathlete and member of the Marseille firefighters. The crowd, still captivated by the presence of Drogba, does not move an iota despite the departure of the young soldier to continue the torch relay, forcing the organization of the event to confine the former center forward inside the town hall to disperse the assembly.

More discreet but no less acclaimed, Colette Cataldo is also present on stage. An essential figure in the Marseille football landscape and known for having created the Dodger's supporters club, housed in the north bend of the Vélodrome, this 83-year-old grand lady was one of the first bearers of the flame in Marseille this Thursday morning. Shortly after 8 a.m., this OM fan “for around sixty years” had the joy of relaying the flame for 200 meters before entrusting it to Marion Duclos Mailaender.

“I was moved because at my age, not everyone can carry the Olympic flame. We are favored here, our city has been in the spotlight for several days,” she declared to Le Figaro shortly after her relay. “I am very happy to have participated in this event. Let’s hope that the French win a lot of medals at the Games,” she continues, displaying her unconditional support for her favorite team in view of the match between them in the evening against Atalanta Bergamo. “And may OM win!” »During these two days of celebration, Marseille saw famous athletes parade (Tony Parker, Pascale Trinquet-Hachin, Frédérick Bousquet, Fabien Gilot, etc.), the first European collective relay and many anonymous people, the Parc de la Moline (its workshops of children's hands painted in Olympic colors and its sports stands) had never seen so many people. The relay for the Paris 2024 Games was sunburned, full of smiles (like on the Tour) and will remember the first two days of Olympic Marseille, which lives up to its name...