Athens, Nov 23, 2023, IANS

Athens, Nov 23 (IANS) Tokyo 2020 rowing gold medalist Stefanos Douskos of Greece will be the first torchbearer for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) said.

The details of the Olympic Torch Relay Paris 2024, which will take place in Greece from April 16 to 26, 2024, were presented by the Hellenic Olympic Committee at an event held at its headquarters on Wednesday.

Chairman of the HOC Olympic Torch Relay Commission, Douskos will be the first torchbearer, while the flame will be carried last by the men’s national water polo team, led by Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Giannis Fountoulis, to the Panathenaic Stadium, where it will be handed over to the President of the HOC, Spyros Capralos, who will pass it on to the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee.

The Lighting of the flame will take place on April 16 in Ancient Olympia and marks the beginning of an eleven-day journey. Around 600 torchbearers will carry the Olympic flame through the Greek territory, covering over 5000 kilometers in 41 municipalities and ending on 26 April 2024 in the Panathenaic Stadium, where the modern Games have been revived.

The route of the Olympic flame has been designed to meet four main objectives, i,e., to cover the whole of Greece, connecting the four ends of the country, from Crete to Alexandroupoli and from Corfu to Kastellorizo.

-To promote most important archaeological sites, highlighting the treasures of our history and culture (Ancient Elis, Mycenae, Knossos, Delphi, Ancient Philippi, Vergina, Sounio, Acropolis).

-To showcase the iconic landscapes that make up the beauty of Greece (Methoni, Nafplio, Santorini, Meteora).

-Finally, the aim is to honor the historical past that connects France and Greece, a story that developed over the years into a very strong friendship. France is mainly associated with the Greek Revolution of 1821, which ignited a great wave of sympathy and support for the Greek people.