IN PICTURES – Paris 2024: in the wake of the Olympic flame, from Marseille to Occitanie – Libération

In Libé’s eye

As he passes, hundreds of people gather to capture a little of the Olympic spirit. From Marseille to Paris, the flame will circulate from torch to torch. A look back at a week across France.

published today at 4:18 p.m.

Ukrainian Maria Vysotchanska surrounded by 27 athletes from each member state of the European Union, during the Olympic torch relay in Marseille, May 9, 2024.

Laurent Cipriani/AP

The flame in Cathar country. Thursday May 16, the relay took to the air to bring the torch to the fortress of Peyrepertuse, in Aude. In the early morning, it was the climber and ultra-trailer Béatrice Fabre who held her, on a zip line, to her destination.

VALENTINE CHAPUIS/AFP

Originally from Perpignan, high jumper Nawal Meniker brandished the flame in the port of Collioure. Silver medalist at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games and bronze medalist at the last European Games in 2023, the athlete made the boat crossing under the eyes of a large crowd.

ED JONES/AFP

On May 14, karateka Alexandra Feracci waves the flame in front of the statue of Bonaparte, on the Place du Casone in Ajaccio, where she herself is from. In total, 123 relays succeeded each other during the Corsican stage, from the Aiguilles of Bavella to Porto-Vecchio.

PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA/AFP

Far from the public eye, the flame was raised on the morning of May 11 to the top of the Sisteron citadel. But then, carried by a relay of 24 climbers, the torch climbed the Rocher de la Baume, an imposing cliff which overlooks the town of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP

The Millau viaduct on rollerblades. On May 13, before arriving in Montpellier, the world roller champion Taïg Khris rode with the torch on the highest bridge in the world closed to traffic for the occasion.

MAXIME LE PIHIF/AFP

On May 11, Miss Martini was the first drag queen in Olympic history to carry the flame during the relay around Digne-les-Bains, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. If the artist had to comply with the official outfit – a white jogging suit – she kept her flashy pink heels and her purple wig to perform her piece of the course.

CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFPImages of current events, everyday life, art or big names in the history of photography… Find in the “In images” section of the Libération website the choices of the newspaper’s photo department, which favors unique writing , innovative or surprising. And because this has always been a concern of Libération, also discover our Images pages in the weekend edition.