This Monday, May 20, the Olympic flame visited the Pyrénées-Atlantiques for its twelfth stage. From Biarritz to Pau, the public turned out to admire some of the big names in sport. Bixente Lizarazu was the last to carry the flame in his hometown, Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Jérôme Fernandez, former French international handball player, took over from him later in the day.
Pau was not to be outdone, counting among its Porters Émilie Andéol, former judokate, Jérémy Chardy, tennis player and the former tennis player Guy Forget. The day concluded with para-triathlete Ahmed Andaloussi, who lit the cauldron in front of the Palais Beaumont.
Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024, came to attend a collective relay in his discipline, canoeing, at the Eaux Vives stadium in Pau, which he knows well. Earlier in the morning, a collective surfing relay took place in Biarritz.
To mark 100 days before the start of the Paralympic Games, Fadila Khattabi, Minister Delegate in charge of the elderly and disabled people, traveled to Béarn, to Orthez then to Pau. Pascale Ribes, president of APF France Handicap, also made the trip for this special occasion. The association offered numerous activities for young and old, in particular offering the public the opportunity to participate in awareness-raising activities, such as a wheelchair tour and an immersive virtual reality disability simulation experience.