Olympic Flame is set to arrive on the shores of France tomorrow, 8 May, onboard the historic ship Belem. After its arrival in Marseille, four-time Olympic medallist Florent Manaudou will have the honour of being the first torchbearer in France for Paris 2024.
“I’m delighted to be the first torchbearer in France,” Manaudou tells Olympics.com
“I can’t wait to be in the Vieux Port and celebrate with the public the return of the Games to France after one hundred years!”
Manaudou, a native of Villeurbanne, first made Olympic headlines in 2012 when he won the gold medal in the 50m Freestyle in the London Olympics —the youngest competitor in the final and the first French Olympic champion in the event. He would go on to compete in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020; earning two silvers in Rio and another in Tokyo.
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The 33-year-old is also an eight-time world champion and 11-time European champion, and has competed professionally in handball for the Aix-en-Provence reserve team.
For Manaudou, competitive swimming is a family affair. He was trained by his older brother for most of his youth, swimming coach Nicolas Manaudou, and his sister is none other than Laure Manaudou; the Olympic swimmer who at just 17-years-old brought home three medals from the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, including the gold for the 400m Freestyle.
Laure Manaudou was the first French torchbearer for Paris 2024 after the Olympic Flame was lit in Olympia on 16 April.
“Carrying the flame after my sister, who has already had this honour at Olympia in Greece, and doing it in a city to which I am very attached, Marseille, means all the more to me.” Manaudou told Olympics.com about sharing this momentous journey with his sister.