A day of sport, culture and emotion to mark the return of the flame to the Bouches-du-Rhône region

5 min|

Picture by Paris 2024 / Clement Mahoudeau / SIPA PRESS

The fourth stage of the Olympic Torch Relay made another stop in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Following the arrival of the Olympic torch and the first stage in Marseille, other key sites in the region enjoyed the limelight on the way to Arles, the host of the day’s stage.

The departmental, regional and Arles municipal authorities, as well as the official sponsors of the Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola, Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne took part in this event. Multi-medal-winning Paralympic table tennis player Stéphanie Mariage lit the Olympic cauldron at the end of the day!

Once more, the Olympic torch enjoyed another day bathed in sunshine. Since its arrival on board the Belem, the famous three-masted ship of which Caisse d’Epargne is the main sponsor, the Olympic torch has been enjoying glorious weather, which is ideal for the continuation of its long journey to the opening ceremony on 26th July.

The day also witnessed its return to the Bouches-du-Rhône department. Two days after making its way through Marseille and highlighting its iconic sites, 140 Torchbearers were able to shine the spotlight on all the other natural and cultural wonders of this region on the Mediterranean coast.

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A nod to one of the relay’s sponsors

The morning began with the Olympic torch passing in front of the Coca-Cola factory at Pennes- Mirabeau, to thank the employees of one of the Olympic Torch Relay’s sponsors. To mark the occasion, 24 employees took part in a team relay and a mini village was set up to celebrate the event.

From the shores of the Mediterranean to the gateway to the Camargue

The day continued close to the coast from Cassis. Twenty individual Torchbearers took the relay along the harbour, under the high cliffs that dominate the coastline. Among these Torchbearers, one of them even transported the Olympic torch on a paddle board for 200 metres, from the Calanque de Port-Miou inlet to the harbour.

The Olympic torch then headed for Miramas and in particular its stadium, renowned for its water sports activities, before heading for Aix-en-Provence. After a stroll through the town centre, it reached the famous Cours Mirabeau and the fresher ambience around the Rotonde fountain. The convoy also travelled to Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône. This town, which the regional council wished to put in the spotlight, marks the entrance to the Camargue area and its breathtaking panoramas.

The day continued on the way to Istres, Eygalières and its famous Saint-Sixt chapel, before heading back to Arles. As France's largest municipality - seven times the size of Paris - the route promised to be a sporty one. It was also sporty due to being the venue for a relay event organised by the French Volleyball Federation to promote the 200,000 members of the federation throughout France. The former French national team coach, Laurent Tillie and former international player Karine Salinas were the two captains of this collective relay.

Pride of place for inclusion and culture

Arles offered a culturally rich event as the Olympic torch passed through the Musée départemental Arles Antiques Antiquity Museum, the museum dedicated to Van Gogh and then the museum devoted to history of the city (Musée Arlatan). It was also taken to the ancient theatre, the arenas and in front of the impressive Tour Luma tower.

The site of the celebrations was a little further along, on the Quai Lamartine facing the Rhône. A number of events were planned for the occasion, including a performance by typical Provençal dancers from Arles, and another by a troupe of 28 dancers of 16 different nationalities, reflecting the diversity promoted by the Olympic Games. Former professional footballer Djibril Cissé, who has won 41 caps for the French national team and is now a DJ, set the scene for the celebrations with a set that thrilled the spectators on the quayside.

One of France's most popular drag queens, Nicky Doll was on the roads of Arles today. The presenter of Drag Race France, who puts their energy into building a more inclusive society and promotes France internationally in the world's most renowned drag competitions, was able to carry the Olympic torch back to their home area of Bouches-du-Rhône.

Para-sport was once again in the spotlight, as part of Paris 2024's vision to open up the Olympic Torch Relay to athletes and para-athletes. In their ranks on Saturday were Éric Dargent, who created a prosthesis that enabled him to become vice-champion of the world in para-sport surfing, Romain Pecker-Goubin, a para-sport boxer who founded an association aimed at using sport as a means of rebuilding and progressing, as well as Emma Reymond, a member of the French hearing-impaired badminton team, and Nicolas Savant, who plays para-table tennis.

The last Torchbearer of the day was Stéphanie Mariage. The native of Villers-Semeuse is a major para-sport table tennis champion who has won four medals at the Paralympic Games including two gold medals.

Tomorrow, the Olympic torch will continue its journey along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, but slightly further to the west, with a unique stage on the menu, featuring a triptych between three cities full of character: Millau, Sète and Montpellier.