The Olympic flame continues its journey in eastern France. For its 43rd stage, it traveled through Haute-Marne this Friday, including the town of Saint-Dizier. The Bragards hope to draw an important legacy from these 2024 Olympic Games. They have also inaugurated, on the occasion of the passing of the Olympic flame, an 8 km course where it is possible to walk, run, ride and even swim , all for free.
At the same time, the Olympic flame began its journey in Langres, a town nicknamed the “Carcassonne of the North”. It then passed through Bourbonne-les-Bains, a spa town that has been famous since Antiquity. It then headed for Colombey-les-Deux-Églises. The town was a haven of peace for General de Gaulle, who owned La Boisserie, his family home, there. The flame made a short stopover in wooded areas around the Lac du Der, one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe.
114 people took turns carrying the Olympic flame this Friday. A collective relay organized by the French Weightlifting Federation, with 23 enthusiasts including Rose Duchauffour and Amélie Balland, who practices despite her handicap. Several personalities from the region were honored, including French wrestling champion Jean-Michel Brun, former chef de mission of France at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. He is currently vice-president of the CNOSF .
The penultimate torchbearer was Florent Pietrus, European champion in 2013 and third in the 2014 World Championships with the French basketball team. The man with 230 caps then passed the flame to judoka Axel Clerget, Olympic mixed team champion in Tokyo and native of Saint-Dizier, who lit the cauldron at the end of the day.
This Saturday, the Olympic flame will travel through the Meuse and Verdun.
