With just over 60 days left before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games gets underway in the French capital, the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay has commenced.
The Olympic Torch Relay takes place before every Olympic Games and is one of the great traditions of any Olympic Games, symbolising peace, unity and friendship between people.
The relay started its journey on 16 April when the Torch, designed by Mathieu Lehanneur who was inspired by three symbols of the upcoming Games: equality, water and peacefulness, was lit by the Olympic flame on the site of Ancient Olympia in Greece as a tribute to the Ancient Olympic Games.
An 11-day tour around Greece then followed before the Olympic flame was then transferred via ship for a journey across the Mediterranean from Athens to Marseille, for Stage 1 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay which started on 9 May.
Handball was involved as soon as the Torch arrived on French soil with an organised introduction to the sport on a court situated on the forecourt of Stade du Vélodrome in the southern French city.
The Torch is now currently travelling around the regions of France, from the mainland to its overseas departments and territories, offering everyone the opportunity to see the torch and showcase the county.
Torchbearers selected for important role
Individuals who carry the Torch are known as ‘torchbearers’ with around 10,000 people involved in France after being selected in a process which started in June 2023.
They were selected on the basis of their commitment, dedication and actions to bring life to at least one of the three energies of Paris 2024 which include the energy of sport and the Games, the energy of communities and the energy of the collective.
Handball represented throughout Tour
In amongst the 100s of torchbearers will be a number of individuals from within the handball family with some highlights including global stars and inspiring figures in their local communities.
On Friday 17 May, Stage 9 took place in Haute-Garonne (Toulouse) in south west France with legendary France coach Claude Onesta who coached the French men’s national team to gold at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games, involved along with Nodjialem Myaro, a double Olympian with the French women’s team (2000, 2004) and current President of the La Ligue Féminine de Handball (LFH).
The following day, 18 May, saw the Torch relay in Gers (Auch) for Stage 10, with Beijing 2008 gold medallist and part of Onesta’s French team, Christophe Kempé, appearing in the French town of Fleurance.
Another French legend will be part of the relay, with Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games gold medallist and multiple IHF Women’s World Championship and EHF Women’s European Championship medallist Cléopatre Darleux taking part in Stage 27 in June. The stage will be special for Darleux, taking place in the region of Finistère, home to the city of Brest, where the shotstopper currently plays for Brest Bretagne.
Multiple Olympic Games, IHF World Championship and EHF European Championship gold medal winner Daniel Narcisse will have the honour of running with the Olympic Torch on the island of his birthplace, Réunion, a French overseas department situated in the Indian Ocean. The 2012 IHF Male World Handball Player of the Year will be carrying the torch for Stage 30.
Handball will be represented on Stage 40 by Bernard Perrin who will carry the Olympic Torch in the eastern French region of Doubs. The 68-year-old has enjoyed a varied sporting career as a rugby and handball player, coach and manager, as well as being chairman of the regional handball technical committee and Jura handball committee.
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