PARIS: According to a person with knowledge of the negotiations, the Olympic flame will light in the Tuileries Garden in front of the Louvre museum during the Paris Games in July and August.
The insider, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that “several weeks ago” the decision was made to locate the Olympic cauldron near the city’s tourism destination.
The source stated that “the Tuileries emerged as the first choice because of the public’s ease of access.”
According to the source, there had been talk that the flame might be set atop the Eiffel Tower, and the organizers had even considered placing it in the courtyard of the largest museum in the world, the Louvre.
The Tuileries is a location that is simple to secure. The source stated that the raised walkways surrounding the garden will allow the public to view the flame and that security personnel will be on duty around-the-clock to safeguard it.
A pivotal part in the Olympic opening ceremony is the burning of the cauldron, which officially ushers in the world’s greatest sporting event.
It was not known whether the cauldron will be moved to the Tuileries or lit inside of them following the historic opening ceremony on July 26. The celebration is scheduled to take place on boats along the neighboring Seine river.
The person chosen to light it is still a mystery, and information on the opening ceremony—which will be held for the first time outside the athletics stadium—is kept under wraps.
The goal of the organizers is to make the first Olympics in Paris in a century “iconic.”
Symbolic Position
The Paris organizing committee responded to questions over the cauldron by saying, “We will not confirm or deny any of the reports that are circulating” in a statement to AFP. Many rumors have already been circulated regarding its location. According to the statement, the organizers hope to have the cauldron “placed in the heart of Paris for its symbolism and so that it is visible for everyone.”
The Paris Games are scheduled to take place in various venues throughout the capital, such as the Place de la Concorde, which is next to the Tuileries Garden, and temporary stadiums by the Eiffel Tower.
The park, which was created in 1664 at the request of Louis XIV, dubbed the “Sun King,” is strongly linked to both the 1789 anti-monarchist Revolution and the now-defunct French royal family.
On April 16, a flame will be taken from Olympia in Greece and transported by sea to Marseille in a three-masted French tall ship from the 19th century known as the Belum. This will mark the start of the Paris 2024 torch relay.
The flame is then set to travel 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) throughout the mainland and overseas French territories in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific, passing through 400 French cities and other tourist destinations along the way.
Tennis player Naomi Osaka ignited the hydrogen-powered cauldron during the opening ceremony of the last Covid-interrupted Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, inside the hauntingly empty main athletics stadium.
Another one was positioned close to Tokyo Bay on the shoreline.
