The International Committee of the Mediterranean Games was actively involved in the Torch Relay for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. President Davide Tizzano was Torchbearer in Marseille, the day following the arrival of the Olympic Flame on May 8, and its journey from Greece to France on the sailing boat Belem .

President Tizzano, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing, was a Torchbearer alongside many great sporting figures from around the world, such as Didier Drogba, Tony Parker, Basile Boli and Jean-Pierre Papin.

Torchbearer in Athens was the ICMG Secretary General Iakovos Filippousis. The Olympic Flame was carried by Mr. Filippousis in the center of Athens, on the last day of the Torch Relay on Greek soil and shortly before the Handover Ceremony of the Olympic Flame to the Organizing Committee “Paris 2024”.

ICMG Secretary General Iakovos Filippousis with the HOC President Spyros Capralos. (ΜΑΡΚΟΣ ΧΟΥΖΟΥΡΗΣ / EUROKINISSI)

 

Torchbearers in Greece were also the President of the ICMG Coordination Commission for Portimao & Lagoa 2027, Ilias Dalainas and the member of the ICMG Coordination Commission for Prishtina 2023,  Thomas Tokas.

(ΜΑΡΚΟΣ ΧΟΥΖΟΥΡΗΣ / EUROKINISSI)

The first Torchbearer on the journey of the Olympic Flame to Paris was on April 16 in Ancient Olympia, the Olympic Champion Stefanos Ntouskos who won the gold medal in rowing, at the Mediterranean Games Tarragona 2018.

Stefanos Ntouskos passed the Olympic Flame to the French Laure Manaudou, Olympic Champion in swimming, two times gold medalist at the 2005 Mediterranean Games in Almeria.

(ΜΑΡΚΟΣ ΧΟΥΖΟΥΡΗΣ / EUROKINISSI)

In Athens the Olympic Flame was also carried by the Olympic Champion in weightlifting, Pyrros Dimas who took three gold medals at the 1993 Languedoc-Roussillon Mediterranean Games,  the weightlifting champion Giorgos Tzelilis with two gold and three silver medals at the 1993 and 1997 Mediterranean Games, the wrestling champion Maria Prevolaraki with three gold medals at the 2013, 2018 and 2022 Mediterranean Games, the swimming champion Andreas Vazaios with three gold, four silver and three bronze medals at the 2013, 2018 and 2022 Mediterranean Games and wrestling champion Voula Zygouri who won the silver medal at the  Mediterranean Games Tunis 2001.

Pyrros Dimas, Andreas Vazaios and Voula Zygouri (ΜΑΡΚΟΣ ΧΟΥΖΟΥΡΗΣ / EUROKINISSI)

A special moment was the overnight stay of the Olympic Flame in the Acropolis of Athens with the athletics champion Periklis Iakovakis lighting the cauldron. Iakovakis won two gold medals in the 2001 Mediterranean Games in Tunis and a bronze in 2013 in Mersina.

(ΜΑΡΚΟΣ ΧΟΥΖΟΥΡΗΣ / EUROKINISSI)

In Thessaloniki, the cauldron was lit by the Olympic silver medalist in discus Anastasia Kelesidou (gold medal in the Mediterranean Games Bari 1997), while the Olympic Champions in 100 meter hurdles Voula Patoulidou (gold and silver in the Mediterranean Games Athens 1991) was also a Torchbearer.

In Patra, Torchbearer was the swimmer Nora Drakou with a total of nine medals in the Mediterranean Games of 2009 (silver and bronze), 2013 (gold and three silver) and 2018 (three bronze). In Igoumenitsa the cauldron was lit by silver Olympic medalist Alexandra Tsiavou who had won the gold medal in rowing at the 2009 Pescara Mediterranean Games and in Lamia, the Olympic silver medalist Niki Bakoyannis (silver medal at the 1997 Mediterranean Games and three bronzes at 1987, 1991, 1993) lit the cauldron. In Volos, the two-times Olympic medalist Vassilis Polymeros, who won the gold medal in rowing at the Pescara 2009 Mediterranean Games, lit the cauldron.

(ΜΑΡΚΟΣ ΧΟΥΖΟΥΡΗΣ / EUROKINISSI)

In Marseille, along with ICMG President Davide Tizzano, Torchbearers were the fencing champion Dora Goudoura, 2022 Mediterranean Games saber champion in Oran and French pole vault champion Jean Galfione, bronze medalist at the 1993 Mediterranean in Languedoc-Roussillon .

Davide Tizzano passes the Olympic Flame to Dora Goudoura