"It's going to be spectacular and will showcase all our territories," Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet said at a ceremony at the French capital's Sorbonne university. Following a brief domestic relay in Greece the flame is then handed over to the host city. Paris organisers have said they will use a three-masted ship the 'Belem' to take it the port city of Marseille, where the sailing competitions of the Olympics will take place. Usually the flame, held in a safety lantern, is flown by plane to the Olympic Games host city. Paris 2024 organisers have been planning to install the Olympic flame on the Eiffel Tower, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters last month.

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Persons: Stephanie Lecocq PARIS, Armel Le, Tony Estanguet, Laure, Florent Manaudou, Dimitri Pavade, Anne Hidalgo, Julien Pretot, Kirsten Donovan, Toby Davis Organizations: Sorbonne University , Paris, Michel, French, Sorbonne, National Assembly, Senate, Olympic Games, Eiffel, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Marseille, Paris, France, Olympia, Athens, Montpellier, Corsica, Bordeaux, Brest, Strasbourg, Reims, Ville, Greece, Belem, Phocaea