A 24-hour relay around the world by Paris 2024, French embassies and (…)

After the success of the first edition in 2022, which attracted more than 44 foreign embassies and territories and over 8,000 participants, the second season will cross more than 116 countries and overseas territories. A total of 128 embassies, consulates, permanent representations of France and DROM-COM holding the Terre de Jeux 2024 label will take part in the relay to pay tribute to the sports and athletes of each country. The event begins in New Zealand before traversing Oceania, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, ending in the Pacific Ocean in French Polynesia.

Once each event is over, the baton is passed to the embassies and DROM-COM in the nearest time zone, who host their own event, and so on and so on for a total of 24 hours. The handover of the baton in this global relay race will be organized and carried out via social media. Parallel to the relay, numerous events (exhibitions, sporting outreach, press conferences, round tables, etc.) will be organized by the participants in order to raise global awareness of the upcoming Paris 2024 Games.

Sports initiatives and solidarity events for “Games Wide Open”

The French embassies, which carry the Terre de Jeux 2024 label, expect tens of thousands to take part in the relay. More than 100 athletes from around the world will take part, with events planned in around 40 sports and disciplines, including cricket, taekwondo, stand-up paddle, skateboarding, pétanque, long jump, discus and javelin, para-athletics and para-badminton . Ellen Keane, Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medalist and Rio 2016 bronze medalist, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic boxing champion Kelly Harrington are expected in Ireland; Tunisia’s most decorated swimmer and athlete in Olympic history with two gold medals and one bronze medal will compete in Tunisia. Meanwhile, Jean Patry, French volleyball medalist at Tokyo 2020 in Italy and Paula Pareto, Argentine judo bronze medalist at the Rio 2016 Games, will attend an event organized by the French Embassy in Argentina.

A wide range of activities will be organized in each participating country and territory.

At an event organized by the French Consulate in Brisbane (future venue for the 2032 Olympic Games), an eight-person rowing boat with athletes on board will cruise through the city along the Brisbane River. In Hong Kong, runners will cross the finish line on a dragon boat after a 5km race through the city’s streets and skyline. In Turkey, just weeks after terrible earthquakes struck the country, the French embassy is organizing a solidarity walk and virtual baton handover between Ankara and Istanbul. In the United States, the Lycée Français de San Francisco hosts a relay race on the famous Golden Gate Bridge. French Polynesia – a Paris 2024 Games host territory – will conclude the day’s events with a race ending at the mythical Teahupo’o, where the Paris 2024 Olympic Games surfing events will take place.

In Paris, between 9am and 10am, a group of about 40 people will walk down the Seine as a prelude to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, which will take place 500 days later on the river. Amélie Oudea-Castera, Minister for Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, will open the race at the ministry in the 13th arrondissement. At the finish on the Quai d’Orsay, the baton will then be handed over to the French embassies in Senegal and Ireland.