Patra welcomed today Thursday, April 25, in its City Hall, the Olympic Flame of 33of Summer Olympic Games “PARIS 2024” and was honored by the Municipality of Patreon in a special event – the first official one in the new City Hall – held, at 4 p.m. in his courtyard.
The route of the flame in Patras followed the course from Agia Sophia and Corinth, Agia Sophia and Constantinople, Maizonos to the new City Hall and after the event, Maizonos to Georgiou Square.
The torchbearers carried the flame: Evangelos Gouzouasis (Disabled Athletics), Sotirios Michopoulos (Tae Kwon do), Fotini Plea (Boxing), Christopher Columbus (Water Polo), Nora Drakou (Swimming), Nikos Argyropoulos (Classic athletism).
The placing of the Olympic Flame on the altar in the City Hall was done by the torchbearer Christopher Columbus, presence of representatives of the authorities and agencies of the city, the delegation of the officials of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the Organizing Committee of the 33of (XXIII) Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Immediately afterwards, the Olympic Anthem and the National Anthems of France and Greece were played, followed by the speeches of the Mayor of Patreon, Costa Peletidisof the Representative of the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games “PARIS 2024” Mme Catherine Sagnelonge: Catherine SanielonzConsul of France in Greece and representative of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Petros SynadinosMember of EOE – Representative of the Hellenic Archery Federation, Head of Mission Paris 2024.
GREETINGS OF THE MAYOR OF PATRAE KOSTA PELETIDI
“Madame Consul of France and representative of the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games “Paris 2024”,
Mr. representative of the Hellenic Olympic Committee
Mr. representatives of the authorities and agencies of the city,
Dear Olympians and representatives of Patraic Sports
Dear friends
We welcome to Patras the Olympic Flame, the symbol of peace, brotherhood and unity of peoples, the symbol of the Olympic movement, which lights the way to the great sporting, social and cultural event of the Olympic Games. The Games that for thousands of years have touched millions of people all over the planet and were born a few kilometers from where we are.
Our city is not just a stop on this route, but has an important connection with the Olympic spirit. Because Patras is the birthplace of our great poet, Kostis Palamas, who wrote the official anthem of the Olympic Games. It is the birthplace of the ancient Olympians, Cheilon and Athydius, as well as the modern ones, Ioannis Mitropoulos, Nikolaos Andriakopoulos, Antonios Pepanos, Stefanos Christopoulos, Aristovoulos Petmezas and Dimitris Tofalos, as well as the current ones that I will mention in alphabetical order: Lambros Vassilopoulos, Angeliki Gerolimou, Simeon Georgaras, Christodoulos Kolombos, Nikos Roumeliotis and Dimitris Mazis.
It is worth mentioning that the building we are in now, the Old Arsakeio, which was transformed into the new City Hall of our city, is the work of the architect Anastasios Metaxas, Olympic shooting champion.
It would be the wish of all of us who are here today, but also of those who are motivated by pure feelings of solidarity, may the Olympic Flame really illuminate a world without wars, poverty and exploitation in its path.
Unfortunately, this is not the reality. In our “neighborhood” alone, we currently have four active hotbeds of war, with our country involved in all of them, targeting the Greek people as well. The dangers of imperialist rivalries are growing, the genocide of the Palestinian people continues.
In this environment, the message of “peace” is not just a wish. It is a daily struggle for the disengagement of our country and people, a struggle to put obstacles in the way of the imperialists, to prevent wars from being launched from our soil, to prevent any action that facilitates war activity.
This struggle is the only way to fill our lives, the lives of all peoples, with smiles, culture, sports, so that we can enjoy the life we deserve.
At the same time, it is important to reflect on what the lyrics of Palamas mean for us today, for the Olympic Games that will take place shortly “Ancient Spirit immortal, pure Father of the beautiful, the great and the true”. What do they signify for sport itself? “On the road and in the fight and in the stone”. They speak of a sport with noble rivalries, with values, that radiates the best that mankind has created. Not for a sport of multinationals, advertisements, unrestrained competition, with legitimate and illegitimate means, which “burns” even the athletes themselves for a few moments of brilliance.
The values and ideals of the Olympic spirit are still alive, despite the rust that seems to “dazzle” them. We are the guarantors, they are the people, the athletes who fight with their body and soul.
Have a good trip to the Olympic Flame!”
GREETINGS FROM CATHERINE CHANIELONZ
“Dear Mr. Mayor,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Municipal Councillors,
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Olympic Games are the oldest historical event still celebrated around the world: the games born in Greece 2800 years ago bring all of humanity together today. One hundred years after the last Summer Olympics were held in France, Paris is preparing to host them again. The Embassy of France and the Organizing Committee of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games are here today, together with the Hellenic Olympic Committee to highlight the Olympic Ideal and the values of Olympism that make up our common cultural heritage, but also the bonds of friendship that unite France and Greece.
We participate in the Olympic torch relay from its starting point in ancient Olympia, where the heart of Pierre de Coubertin rests, pioneer of the revival of the Olympic Games together with Dimitrios Vikelas, to Athens where the ceremony of handing over to the host France will take place on April 26 .
The next day, the Olympic flame will depart on the three-masted sailing ship Bel?m for Marseille, where it is expected to arrive on May 8. From there he will travel to Paris ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the Games on July 26. Nothing could better symbolize our two eras and our two nations. Nothing more beautiful could represent the relationship that unites our two peoples than this sacred flame that will spread from city to city the enthusiasm of all of us.
The creator of the Olympic torch, Mathieu Lehanneur, was inspired by 3 central ideas that characterize the Olympic Games “Paris 2024”:
- The equality that characterizes the first Games of gender equality and inclusion in History,
- The water that is connected to the Mediterranean basin and the transoceanic Torch Relay to Tahiti, and expresses the environmental dimension of the Games,
- The solace offered by the message of peace and unity projected by the Games.
Celebration, commitment and legacy are the 3 keywords that shine through the passage of the Olympic flame, which every day brings us closer to this great event. Date in Paris!”.
GREETINGS OF PETROS SYANADINO
“On behalf of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, we welcome the Olympic Torch Relay to the historic city of Patras.
The Olympic Games for 2800 years have been one of the noblest institutions of competition. They are held under the glow of the Olympic Flame, which is the symbolic and timeless gift of the Greeks to Humanity. Its route through villages, cities, metropolises, states and continents, traces an international network of understanding, understanding and excitement. Despite their occasional distortion, the Olympic Games are based on ideal and human values, such as reconciliation, rivalry, humanitarianism, solidarity, equality and respect for people, without racism, xenophobia, intolerance. Today, with the war situations on the planet and the climate crisis, principles such as the truce and the protection of the environment come to the fore again on the occasion of the Olympic Games.
So we are happy to welcome today in Patras, a city with a strong sporting and cultural participation and in the first reviving Olympic Games, the Olympic Flame, which is carried by distinguished sports personalities, such as the silver medalist Christodoulos Kolombos, my friend Marathon runner Nikos Argyropoulos, Sotiris Michopoulos, Fotini Plea, the disabled athletics champion Evangelos Gouzouasis, and the swimmer Nora Drakou, whom I will have the pleasure of having with me in Paris, as Mission Leader.
By placing the Olympic Flame in this historic building of education and culture, which today houses the New Town Hall of Patras, the EOE also pays tribute to its architect who, fortunately, was an Olympic shooting champion, Anastasis Metaxas, with great contribution to the restoration of the Kallimarmaros – Panathinaikos Stadium for the O.A. of 1896.
From here the Flame will continue its course until it reaches Paris.
We sincerely wish you a good trip and good luck in the host city of the 33rd Gamesher Olympiad, in Paris.
Let’s unite, all together, our wishes for building a better world, a healthy and sustainable planet, through Sports and the Olympic Values.
Good luck in PARIS!
Good luck to our Athletes!”.
Immediately after the speeches, there was an exchange of gifts between the Municipal Authority, the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the Organizing Committee.
The Olympic Flame departed from the City Hall, with its torchbearer Nora Drakou.
While waiting for the arrival of the Flame, the percussion ensemble of the Municipal Conservatory of Patras appeared, “CRUSH“, taught and directed by Maxim Mankovsky.
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