The Olympic flame arrived today off the coast of Marseille, where it will disembark during the evening. It set sail from Greece on April 27 aboard a three-masted sailing ship. The “landing” will be expected tonight, from 19:00 to 20:00 local time, Romanian time – by 150,000 people, 1,500 accredited journalists from all over the world and 1 billion viewers a hundred years after the last Games Summer Olympics hosted by France.
The Olympic flame is currently aboard the Belem, a 19th-century French 3-masted sailing ship that made the 12-day journey from Greece.
More than 1,000 other boats will escort the ship into port, and organizers expect around 150,000 people to come to watch the flame come ashore in the Marseille marina.
The Olympic flame will land on a floating athletics track, installed for the occasion.
Fireworks from “biodegradable recycled confetti” and a concert by the Marseille Philharmonic Orchestra will conclude the event.
In the background, around 8,000 security forces will monitor the city by land, sea and air with one plane, three Rafale jets, helicopters and an anti-drone device.
More than 3 thousand boats anchored in the harbor were checked by demining teams accompanied by 80 dogs.
Olympic swimmer Florent Manaudou was chosen to be the first flame bearer in France.
Photo source: Shutterstock
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