The Olympic flame was lit in Ancient Olympia, the venue for the first Olympic Games in 776 BC.

The Olympic flame to Paris will be carried on a journey of more than 5,000 kilometers. First, it will be carried to Athens, where it will be handed over to the organizers of the Paris Olympic Games on April 26.

Then, the torch will be loaded in the Port of Piraeus  in Athens onto a ship built in 1896, the year the first modern Games were held. It is expected to arrive in Marseille, France on May 8.

The first torchbearer is an Olympic rowing champion at the Tokyo 2020 Games Stefanos Douskos, followed by an Olympic swimming champion Laure Manaudou.