PREVIEW

On Saturday 27 April the Olympic Flame took to the high seas on the sailing ship Belem as it travels from the port of Piraeus to Marseille, France. In charge of the famous three-masted ship was Aymeric Gibet, captain of the Belem since 2016. 15 young French Forerunners will join the Belem's professional crew to accompany the Olympic Flame from Piraeus to Marseille. A 16th Forerunner, Anastasia Skida is representing Greece aboard the Belem. Aged 22, she is studying at the Faculty of French Literature in Athens and enjoys sailing in Greece. Three Flame Angels will also be on board to look after the lanterns during the 12-day crossing. The lanterns ensure the integrity of the Olympic Flame, facilitating its journey to the cauldron and above all ensuring that it is never extinguished before the Closing Ceremony of the Games. While waiting for the Flame to arrive in Marseille, the Aix-Marseille Metropolitan Authority organised a celebratory event featuring 800 drones accompanied by sound, light, and pyrotechnics. The flame will arrive in Marseille on 8 May and is due to formally light the Olympic cauldron on 26 July.