Baku, June 9, AZERTAC

The Olympic Flame for Paris 2024 is set to be lit at Olympia in Greece on April 16 next year before departing for France around one week later, according to insidethegames.biz.

The traditional ceremony requires an actress playing a high priestess to light the Torch with a parabolic mirror, and Reuters has reported it is due to take place at the site of the Ancient Olympic Games 101 days before the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony.

The last two Flame lighting ceremonies for Tokyo 2020 and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics were held behind closed doors because of COVID-19 restrictions, although the latter was disrupted by human rights campaigners protesting the staging of the Games in the Chinese capital.

For Paris 2024, the Flame lighting is set to be followed by a Relay of about one week in Greece to Athens, before departing for host nation France.

insidethegames has contacted the Hellenic Olympic Committee seeking confirmation of the planned April 16 Flame lighting date.

Organisers have already revealed plans for the Olympic Flame to be taken aboard the three-masted Belem ship.

It is then due to travel across the Mediterranean Sea and arrive on May 8 at the Old Port of Marseille, the southern French city due to host sailing events and football matches at Paris 2024.

A total of 10,000 Torchbearers are being sought for the Relay, with the full route expected to be announced on June 23.

The Flame is set to pass through 54 departments in France and visit five overseas territories, including Tahiti which is due to host surfing at Paris 2024.

Olympic swimming gold medallists Laure Manaudou and brother Florent Manaudou have been named as super ambassadors for the Paris 2024 Torch Relay, along with Para triathlete Mona Francis and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic T64 long jump silver medallist Dimitri Pavadé.

The Olympic Flame is due to arrive in Paris on July 14 next year, prior to the Games being held from July 26 to August 11.

Organisers reportedly hope for the Flame to burn at the Eiffel Tower during the Olympics.

A Torch Relay for the Paris 2024 Paralympics is set to take place after the conclusion of the Olympics, beginning with the Flame lighting at Stoke Mandeville in Britain.

The Paris 2024 Paralympics are scheduled for August 28 to September 8.