Olympic torch begins journey across France after festive welcome in Marseille before Summer Games

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The Olympic torch will finally enter France when it reaches the southern seaport of Marseille on Wednesday. The organizers of the 2024 Paris Games have promised a “fantastic celebration” as the majestic ship carrying the torch from Greece is welcomed by a huge crowd in Marseille.

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The Patrouille de France aerobatics demonstration aircraft leave a tricolor trail of smoke in the sky as the Belem, the three-masted sailing ship bringing the Olympic flame from Greece, enters the Old Port in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route is undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

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Belem, the three-masted sailing ship which is carrying the Olympic flame, sails ahead of a welcoming ceremony in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The torch was lit in Greece last month before it was officially handed to France. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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The Belem, the three-masted sailing ship bringing the Olympic flame from Greece, is escorted by other boats while a tugboat sprays water in the foreground, when approaching Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route is undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

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The Belem, the three-masted sailing ship which is carrying the Olympic flame, is accompanied by other boats approaching Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route is undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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French swimmer Florent Manaudou holds the Olympic torch on the French 19th-century three-mast ship Belem as it arrives in the Old Port of Marseille, southern France, Wednesday May 8, 2024. The Olympic flame arrived in Marseille’s Old Port Wednesday on a majestic three-mast ship from Greece for the welcoming ceremony at sunset in the city’s Old Port. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

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French swimmer Florent Manaudou holds the Olympic torch during the torch arrival ceremony in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday May 8, 2024. French Olympic swimmer Florent Manaudou became the first Olympic torch carrier in France after the Olympic flame arrived in Marseille’s Old Port Wednesday on a majestic three-mast ship from Greece for the welcoming ceremony at sunset in the city’s Old Port. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

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French rapper Jul lights the Olympic cauldron with the Olympic torch in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday May 8, 2024. After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route is undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. ( (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

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French Paralympic athlete Nantenin Keïta, holds the Olympic torch while French swimmer Florent Manaudou looks on during the torch arrival ceremonyl in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday May 8, 2024. After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route is undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. Keita is visually impaired and won a gold medal during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

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French Paralympic athlete Nantenin Keïta, holds the Olympic flanked by first torch carrier in France French Olympic swimmer Florent Manaudou, left , and French rap artist Jul during the torch arrival ceremony in Marseille, southern France. After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route is undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

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French Paralympic athlete Nantenin Keïta, left, passes the Olympic torch to French rap artist Jul during the torch arrival ceremony in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday May 8, 2024. After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route is undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. Keita is visually impaired and won a gold medal during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

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People standing by a swimming pool watch the Belem, the three-masted sailing ship bringing the Olympic flame from Greece, being escorted by other boats when approaching Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route is undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

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A rainbow rises over the Old Port as the Belem, the three-masted sailing ship which is carrying the Olympic flame, arrives in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The torch was lit in Greece last month before it was officially handed to France. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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The Olympic cauldron is pictured in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday May 8, 2024. After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route is undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. ( (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

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Spectators are reflected on the Ombriere structure during the Olympic torch arrival ceremony during the Olympic torch arrival ceremony in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday May 8, 2024. The Olympic flame arrived in Marseille’s Old Port Wednesday on a majestic three-mast ship from Greece for the welcoming ceremony at sunset in the city’s Old Port. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

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President of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Organizing Committee Tony Estanguet, left, shakes hands French President Emmanuel Macron during the Olympic torch arrival ceremony in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday May 8, 2024. The Olympic flame arrived in Marseille’s Old Port Wednesday on a majestic three-mast ship from Greece for the welcoming ceremony at sunset in the city’s Old Port. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

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The Belem, the three-masted sailing ship which is carrying the Olympic flame, approaches Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route is undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Nicolas Garriga)

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The French acrobatic flying team Patrouille de France flies over the French 19th-century three-mast ship Belem during the torch arrival ceremony in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday May 8, 2024. The Olympic flame arrived in Marseille’s Old Port Wednesday on a majestic three-mast ship from Greece for the welcoming ceremony at sunset in the city’s Old Port. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

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A sailing crew waits for the arrival of Belem, the three-masted sailing ship which is carrying the Olympic flame, ahead of a welcoming ceremony at the old port in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The torch was lit in Greece last month before it was officially handed to France. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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Fireworks go off as the Belem, the three-masted sailing ship which is carrying the Olympic flame, enters the Old Port in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The torch was lit in Greece last month before it was officially handed to France. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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Crowds watch as the Belem, the three-masted sailing ship bringing the Olympic flame from Greece, enters the Old Port in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route is undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

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People gather to watch the welcoming ceremony of Belem, the three-masted sailing ship which is carrying the Olympic flame, in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The torch was lit in Greece last month before it was officially handed to France. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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Spectators on boats watch the torch arrival ceremony in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday May 8, 2024. French Olympic swimmer Florent Manaudou became the first Olympic torch carrier in France after the Olympic flame arrived in Marseille’s Old Port Wednesday on a majestic three-mast ship from Greece for the welcoming ceremony at sunset in the city’s Old Port. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

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People gather to watch a concert after the welcoming ceremony of the Belem, the three-masted sailing ship which is carrying the Olympic flame, at the Old Port in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The torch was lit in Greece last month before it was officially handed to France. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will run from July 26 to Aug.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

By SYLVIE CORBET and BARBARA SURK

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Tens of thousands of people welcomed the Olympic torch Wednesday in the southern French city of Marseille, marking another milestone in the lead-up to the Summer Games in Paris.

French Olympic swimmer Florent Manaudou became the first torch carrier in France after the Olympic flame arrived in Marseille’s Old Port on a majestic three-mast ship from Greece for the welcoming ceremony amid tight security.

The ship sailed into Marseille’s old port with the French national anthem “La Marseillaise” echoing from the embankment and a French Air force flyover with planes first drawing the five Olympic rings and then the red-blue-white colors of the nation’s flag.

The ship docked on a pontoon resembling an athletics track and Manaudou carried the torch to mainland France. He handed it to French Paralympic sprinter Nantenin Keïta, who won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, to carry it to rapper Jul, a Marseille native, who lit a cauldron as tens of thousands cheered on the shore and thousands of others waved from balconies and windows.

“We can be proud,” said President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the ceremony to welcome the torch.

“The flame is on French soil,” Macron said. “The games are coming to France and are entering the lives of the French people.”

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Marseille’s Mayor Benoît Payan said that more than 230,000 people attended Wednesday’s ceremony.

“Tonight, the people of Marseille won the first gold medal of these Olympic Games,” Payan said, beaming with pride.

The torch was lit in Greece last month before it was officially handed to France. It left Athens aboard a ship named Belem, which was first used in 1896, and spent twelve days at sea.

Paris 2024 Olympics Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet said the return of the Olympic Games to France was cause for a “fantastic celebration.”

“As a former athlete, I know how important the start of a competition is. That is why we chose Marseille, because it’s definitely one of the cities most in love with sports,” added Estanguet, a former Olympic canoeing star with gold medals from the 2000, 2004 and 2012 Games.

Safety of visitors and residents has been a top priority for authorities in Marseille, France’s second largest city with nearly a million inhabitants. About 8,000 police officers have been deployed around the harbor.

Thousands of firefighters and bomb disposal squads have been positioned around the city along with maritime police and anti-drone teams patrolling the city’s waters and its airspace.

“It’s a monumental day and we have been working hard for visitors and residents of Marseille to enjoy this historical moment,” said Yannick Ohanessian, the city’s deputy mayor.

The torch relay will start on Thursday in Marseille, before heading to Paris through iconic places across the country, from the world-famous Mont Saint-Michel to D-Day landing beaches in Normandy and the Versailles Palace.

Heavy police and military presence was seen patrolling Marseille’s city center Tuesday, as a military helicopter flew over the Old Port, where a range of barriers have been set up.

French Interior Ministry spokesperson Camille Chaize said officials were prepared for security threats including terrorism.

“We’re employing various measures, notably the elite National Gendarmerie Intervention Group unit, which will be present in the torch relay from beginning to end,” she said.

The Olympic cauldron will be lit after the Games’ opening ceremony that will take place on the River Seine on July 26.

The cauldron will be lit at a location in Paris that is being kept top-secret until the day itself. Among reported options are such iconic spots as the Eiffel Tower and the Tuileries Gardens outside the Louvre Museum.

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Barbara Surk contributed from Nice, France. AP journalists Jeffrey Schaeffer, Oleg Cetinic, Nicolas Garriga and Daniel Cole contributed to this story.

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AP Olympics https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Olympic Hightlights

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FILE - South Africa’s Jacques Freitag competes in the men’s high jump of the 2004 Olympic Games, in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Friday Aug. 20, 2004. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

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FILE - Jacques Freitag of South Africa waves his national flag after he won the Men’s high jump event at the World Athletics Championships, at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Monday, Aug. 25, 2003. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)

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USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team attacker Ryann Neushul, left, trains at Long Beach City College Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Long Beach, Calif. Following in the footsteps of two older sisters who won gold with the U.S. women’s water polo team, Ryann Neushul is making her Olympic debut in Paris this summer. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Iranian wrestler Iman Mahdavi, 28, practices at the Lotta Club Seggiano gym, in Pioltello , northern Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

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