LIVE. Olympic flame in Paris: the relays continue in the streets of the capital, the torch arrives at Notre-Dame

He will return to light the torch, around 11 p.m.

“It was quite symbolic. Coming back here five years later and seeing the cathedral soon to be finished in front of a crowd of people is magnificent. It was a wonderful moment of sharing. It warmed my heart to see my former colleagues from the barracks. It’s a great moment of pride.”

The flame now passes in front of Notre-Dame carried by Timothée Bernardeau, a paraplegic firefighter from the Paris Fire Brigade.

Speaking to our microphone, Francis, 76, who came from Argenteuil to see the torch pass, desperately tries to get past the police barriers to catch a glimpse of it: “It’s something that happens once a century. And there in front of our poor cathedral, which almost ended up in ashes, it’s beautiful.”

A strong symbol towards Notre-Dame! Warrant Officer Rémi Lemaire, who had participated in the rescue of the cathedral, now takes the torch in his hands.

Still recovering from the huge fire in 2019, the cathedral is receiving special treatment with a guard of honor to reward the Paris fire brigade, which tamed the flames until the end of the night. Two torchbearers come from its ranks.

The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and the deputy for sport and the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Pierre Rabadan, greeted the firefighters present on the forecourt of Notre-Dame.

“What a beautiful symbolic place for firefighters! The same one where they saved Notre Dame,” the former rugby player enthused.

The square in front of Notre-Dame is filled with people waiting for the flame. Firefighters, band and gymnasts are applauded…

The Great Mosque of Paris is currently being crossed. The two torchbearers are exchanging it in the gardens.

On Instagram, Anne Hidalgo posted a story where she talks about the passage of the flame: “On the most beautiful avenue in the world, the Olympic flame begins its crossing of Paris!

From iconic and historic Paris to popular Paris, two days of celebration await us in all the arrondissements. Meet us everywhere in Paris and on my Instagram account to experience this unforgettable moment together!

About twenty people are waiting in front of one of the entrances to the Grand Mosque of Paris, where the flame is expected to arrive at 3:10 p.m.

Gérard Larcher, the President of the Senate, awaits the Olympic flame with a young bearer at the Luxembourg Palace.

Tanguy de La Forest, a para-shooting athlete, will be taking part in his sixth Games this summer in Paris. He has just completed his torch relay along Boulevard Saint-Germain.

The Paralympic Games will take place from August 28 to September 8.

As a reminder, here is the route that the flame will follow this Sunday in the streets of Paris:

Although the new legislature will not open until July 18, the Olympic torch is a little ahead of schedule and is now passing through the lair of the French deputies, in front of which a contemporary dance show choreographed by Marie-Claude Pietragalla is taking place.

The crowd gathered at the bottom of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées at noon to enjoy the passage of the Patrouille de France before that of the Olympic flame. “It’s a party,” exclaims Nathalie, 57, who came with her daughter.

The coach of the French Olympic football team confided his emotion after carrying the flame: “Tony Estanguet had asked me for the relay and obviously, it is not to be refused. The Champs, the Olympic Games, in Paris, it is just extraordinary. Really a lot of emotions and it will remain forever engraved. I did not qualify (for the Olympic Games) with my generation in 2000, so it is just incredible.”

The public slowly begins to settle in front of the Pantheon. Salomé, a local resident, is impatiently waiting for the flame: “It’s a unique moment to experience, especially in front of such a symbolic monument.”

After the Champs-Élysées, the Olympic torch’s route passes through the Grand and Petit Palais. It will then continue its route to the Luxembourg Gardens, in particular, before going to the Panthéon.

The 24-year-old judoka, who will be competing in her second Olympic Games in Paris, is taking over from the footballer.

Thierry Henry has just picked up the Olympic torch and begins his run on the Champs-Élysées, greeting the crowd on his way.

Between the July 14 parade and the passage of the flame, the police are on deck this Sunday in Paris, twelve days before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Twenty-four third-year students from Dora-Maar College, located in the immediate vicinity of the Olympic Village, paraded with the flame in front of the presidential stand.

The Olympic torch will travel through all the districts of the capital for two days, this Sunday and Monday, passing the city’s most beautiful monuments.

Welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the arrival of the Olympic flame in Paris on this national holiday. After making its appearance in the military parade on July 14, the torch will be parading through the streets of the capital.