(MENAFN- AzerNews) The Olympic Flame burning for the Paris 2024 Summer Games washanded over on Friday to the French organizers in a ceremony heldat the Panathenaic stadium in Athens, Azernews reports citing to Xinhua .
At the marble venue of the first modern Olympics of 1896,Hellenic Olympic Committee President and International OlympicCommittee (IOC) member Spyros Capralos passed the flame to TonyEstanguet, president of the organizing committee of the Olympic andParalympic Games "Paris 2024".
"Once again the Olympic Flame will spread across the world theOlympic ideals...It reminds us values such as solidarity andpeace," Capralos said, addressing the event.
The French delegation left the stadium with Greek hosts' bestwishes for successful Games. The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will beheld from July 26 to August 11.
Greek and French officials, IOC members, other dignitaries andthousands of cheering spectators attended Friday's event whichmarked the end of the torch relay on Greek soil.
The Olympic Flame's journey started on April 16 from AncientOlympia in western Greece, the birthplace of the Games 2,800 yearsago. The flame was lit in a traditional ceremony next to theancient stadium at where athletes competed for first time inantiquity.
Greek race walking world champion Antigoni Drisbiotis was thefirst torchbearer to bring the Flame to the Panathenaic Stadium onFriday.
The last torchbearer on Greek soil was Ioannis Fountoulis,captain of Greece's national polo team which won the silver medalat the Tokyo Olympic Games. Fountoulis was escorted by histeammates as he lit the cauldron.
After a choreography by dancers and actors in the roles ofAncient Greek priestesses and male youth, Greek actress Mary Minaacting as an ancient Greek High Priestess, lit a torch from thecauldron.
She passed it to Capralos who then handed the Flame toEstanguet.
"Thank you. See you in Marseille in May 8th," Estanguet saidspeaking in Greek.
At the end of the ceremony, the flame was transported to Piraeusport to head for the port of Marseille on board Belem, athree-masted vessel that was launched in 1896. Belem was scheduledto depart on Saturday for France for the second part of the relaythat will end in Paris for the opening ceremony of July 26.
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