Torch Relay Stage 42: Culture, heritage and table tennis in Moselle
The Olympic Torch continues its adventure in the heart of Europe and the people of Moselle celebrated its return. Metz had already rolled out the red carpet for the Torch 32 years ago, on 4 January 1992, before the Winter Olympics in Albertville.
The flame highlighted local heritage and know-how, such as glassmaking in Meisenthal and faience in Sarreguemines. The symbolic highlight of the stage was Apach, where France, Luxembourg and Germany met. A detour to Schengen was added to celebrate Europe, with over 150 torchbearers carrying the Torch, including Allison Pineau, an icon of women’s handball who lit the cauldron to end the day.
The natural wonders and know-how of the Moselle then led the way to Meisenthal, famous for its glassmaking tradition, where it visited the Glass Museum, the International Glass Art Centre and the Halle Verrière. The next stop was Sarreguemines, famous for its faience, where he crossed the Sarra on the Pont de l’Europe. Later, in Forbach, it passed in the shadow of the 13th century castle.
The Torch celebrated the idea of Europe in the town of Apach, where France, Luxembourg and Germany meet. It flew past the Apach Eiffel Tower, made a detour to the Schengen European Museum in Luxembourg and set foot on German soil. Another encounter with European history awaited it in Thionville and Yutz, when it burned in front of the house of Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of Europe.
From there, the Torch enjoyed the departmental celebrations in Metz and highlighted the city’s sporting venues, including the Arènes multi-sports centre, its cultural temples, such as the Centre Pompidou-Metz, and its historical monuments, such as the Porte Serpenoise and the Place d’Armes. Finally, the cauldron was lit in the Place de la République.
The passage of the Torch through Moselle was a great opportunity to highlight a département that has been awarded the “Terre des Jeux 2024” label and has four sports venues as preparation centres. Seven foreign delegations representing more than 360 athletes and support staff will visit the department this summer to finalise their preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Metz was the venue for the Team Relay, organised by the French Table Tennis Federation. The sport is riding a wave of popularity and coul bring France a few medals in Paris in 2024. The location was no coincidence: the Metz club has won the European Cup, played in the Champions League and won several French Pro A championships.
The team was captained by table tennis legend Jean-Philippe Gatien, a double Olympic silver medallist (Barcelona 1992 and Sydney 2000) and World singles champion (1993). He was joined by 23 table tennis enthusiasts and licence holders. The group included Tokyo 2020 Olympian Pauline Chasselin, international player Charlotte Lutz, umpire Aurore Dussart and coaches Christian Martin and Jérôme Humbert.
The passage of the Olympic torch through Moselle was a great opportunity to highlight the enthusiasm of this department for the Paris 2024 Games. Moselle has been awarded the “Terre des Jeux 2024” label and has four sports venues designated as Olympic Preparation Centres.
Nearly 150 torchbearers took part throughout the day, including renowned athletes such as the footballer Sylvain Kastendeuch, a legend of FC Metz in the 1980s and 1990s. He was joined by Michael Jeremiasz, a wheelchair tennis player with four Paralympic medals from Beijing 2008 and France’s flag bearer at Rio 2016.
Allison Pineau, one of France’s most decorated handball players, completed the relay. The 35-year-old Olympic gold medallist, world champion (2017), European champion (2018) and former world player of the year (2009) lit the cauldron in Metz, where she played from 2009 to 2012 and won the French championship.
The people of Moselle cheered on Olympic champions Sophie Villaume-Hubert (swimming, Beijing 2008) and Patrick Moyses (handbiking, Seoul 1988). Other participants included Marie-José Brunet (judo), Jean-Christophe Cour (sailing), Charles Muzzoli (gymnastics) and Pierre Grousselle (race walking). Journalists Géraldine Weber and Inès Lagdiri-Natasi also carried the Torch.
These celebrities shared the limelight with everyday heroes such as Marie-Françoise Thul, president of Secours Populaire in Moselle, and Ouarda Kebali, founder of the Club Olympique Lutte Woippy, which offers wrestling lessons to young people in a deprived area of Metz.