Two French champions to finish the Olympic Flame relay in Greece
The identities of the last two French torchbearers on Greek soil have been revealed ahead of the handover of the Olympic flame at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.
Paris 2024 has chosen Béatrice Hess, France’s greatest Paralympic champion, and Gabriella Papadakis the official Olympic champion ice dancer, was chosen by Coca-Cola, one of the Official Partners of the Paris 2024 Torch Relay. Olympic, Paralympic: the whole Games family will come together to receive the Flame!
These champions will accompany the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch into the Panathenaic Stadium alongside Greek athletes Antigoni Ntrismpioti, the reigning European champion in the 20km and 35km race walking, and Ioannis Fountoulis, captain of the Greek water polo team and silver medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The latter will light the cauldron and close the 11-day relay in Greece.
The choice of the two French athletes to close the Olympic Torch Relay in Greece was inspired by their extraordinary careers. Papadakis, whose origins symbolise the link between our two countries, forms an exceptional duo with her partner Guillaume Cizeron, with whom she began skating with at the age of nine.
Together they wowed the crowds at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal, before going on to win gold at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Béatrice Hess is one of France’s most illustrious Paralympic swimmers, competing at the highest level from 1984 to 2004. A five-time medallist at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, she has won a total of 26 Paralympic medals, making her one of the most successful athletes in the history of the Games.
The Olympic Flame will be handed over to Paris 2024 tomorrow at the traditional handover ceremony organised by the Hellenic Olympic Committee. The Flame will then sail to Marseille on board the Belem, the famous three-mast ship of the Caisse d’Epargne Foundation, in the port of Piraeus.