Ten thousand runners, bearers, and relay participants will take turns carrying the Olympic flame from Marseille to Paris between May 8th and July 26th. While some of their identities have been revealed, many remain unknown. In the Meuse department, one of the sixty-four departments participating in the relay, the majority of the torchbearers for June 29th are still a mystery. The local council has requested the list of relay participants from the Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Cojop), but so far, this information has not been shared in order to protect their privacy.
The selection process for flame bearers has been complex, involving various entities such as the individual departments, Paris 2024, its partners, the sports movement, and sponsors like Coca-Cola and BPCE. Paris 2024 has retained control over the validation of all relay participants and communication, leading to a lack of transparency. This has frustrated the sixty-four local authorities who have invested significant amounts of money to host the event but have only been able to select 10% of the torchbearers. They have been left to discover the remaining names through the media, partner communications, or individuals sharing on social media.
The situation has left many wondering if the lack of information is to conceal the non-local participants, which detracts from the representation of the flame within each region. The sense of anticipation and community involvement could have been enhanced by promoting the identities of the local torchbearers. Despite this, the list of selected personalities was reportedly already 80% established at the beginning of the year when Paris 2024 first announced information about the relay participants. In the Meuse department, it was revealed that Benjamin Rondeau, a bronze medalist in Beijing in 2008, would lead the collective relay for the French Rowing Federation in Verdun.
The saga continues with the identities of the majority of torchbearers in various regions remaining a mystery, leaving local communities feeling disconnected from the event. The lack of transparency in the selection process and communication surrounding the Olympic torch relay has highlighted discrepancies in the involvement of local authorities and the overarching control of Paris 2024. Despite the frustrations voiced by officials like Thomas Furdin, the relay will undoubtedly proceed as planned, with the torch eventually reaching Paris in time for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The excitement and anticipation surrounding this historic event remain palpable, even amidst the uncertainty regarding the identities of those tasked with carrying the flame across France.
