The Olympic flame stars at the Cannes Film Festival this Tuesday. After a long journey through the south-east of the territory, the flame set down on the Croisette side, with a climb of the steps in front of a well-stocked audience at around 6 p.m., the start time of the “rise of the steps”.
99 days before the Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8), four athletes who have distinguished themselves in Paralympic disciplines had the honor of carrying the torch. Gold medalist in para-triathlon in Tokyo, Alexis Hinquinquant was seen with the torch, after taking over from Arnaud Assoumani, Paralympic long jump champion in 2008 in Beijing. Nélia Barbosa, Paralympic kayak vice-champion in Japan, and Marie Patouillet, double bronze medalist in para-cycling in 2021, were then scheduled according to protocol order.
Tony Estanguet, president of the organizing committee for the Paris Olympics, said he was “so happy to see the Olympic flame ascend the steps of the Festival” before “thanking the world of cinema for its welcome”. The president of COJOP was accompanied to Cannes by former athletes Marie-José Perec (athletics) and Thierry Rey (judo), as well as by basketball player Iliana Rupert.
As a cinematic event, this climb of the steps will be an opportunity to reveal who is directing the official film of the Games, which will kick off on July 26 (until August 11). Subsequently, at 7:30 p.m., the documentary “Olympiques! La France des Jeux” by Mickaël Gamrasni, which looks back on more than a century of French participation in the Olympics, since their creation in 1896. Brahim Asloum, Félicia Ballanger, David Douillet, Guy Drut, Laura Flessel, Jean Galfione, Laure Manaudou. .. Twenty-seven French Olympic and Paralympic champions testify in this feature film narrated by actress Marion Cotillard.