The sailing ship Belem set sail to carry the Olympic Flame to the port of Marseille along with an escort of 1000 ships. In the meantime, the trireme of the Navy, “Olympias” together with 25 sailing vessels accompanied the sailboat outside the port of Piraeus to the Microport where it set sail for Marseille.
The President of the Organizing Authority of the Olympic Games, Tony Estange ex-Olympic champion in Athens in the canoe kayak, moved, held the Olympic flame in his hands, to be transferred for the first time in history by sea to Francewith the beautiful sailing ship, a symbol of the country’s maritime history.
After completing its Olympic mission in Marseille, Belem will arrive at five ports in France in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The torch relay will last 68 days and will end in Paris with the lighting at the opening ceremony on July 26.
On its way, the flame will be carried by about 10,000 torchbearersstopping at iconic sites such as the Lascaux Caves, Mont Saint-Michel and the Loire Castles, as well as places of remembrance such as the Verdun Memorial and the Normandy D-Day beaches to mark the 80th anniversary of Liberation.
Reporting: Katerina Anastasopoulou
Tags: Olympic Flame started journey Marseille sailing ship Belem Impressive images
