From the iconic Louvre Museum to the majestic Eiffel Tower, spanning Paris' affluent quarters to its vibrant working-class areas, participants have proudly borne the Olympic torch through the heart of the French capital, marking two days of festivities leading up to the imminent Summer Games later this month.
Enthusiastic crowds adorned the route on both Sunday and Monday.
"I got super emotional," BMX world champion Matthias Dandois said after carrying the torch in front of the Eiffel Tower. "I’m from Paris, and I grew up playing so much sport and watching the Olympics, and it was a dream to be a part of it."
About 10,000 individuals were chosen to carry the flame across France from the southern city port of Marseille, where it arrived on May 8, to the opening ceremony on July 26. Many are athletes.
Others were picked because they represent art, culture and gastronomy, volunteer for charities or are deeply involved in community life.
Dressed in white, runners proceeded at a slow pace to the cheers of spectators. The flame reached the top floor of the Eiffel Tower on Monday with French judoka and Olympic champion Clarisse Agbegnenou.
Francky Mbotto, a 26-year-old middle-distance runner from the Central African Republic who lives in Paris, carried it near the Arc de Triomphe.
"This is incredible! It’s so emotional. It’s Olympism that is being highlighted," he said, adding that the relay is meant to deliver a "message of peace."
Another torchbearer, Eva David, a wheelchair basketball athlete, described it as "a real moment of jubilation."
Belgian singer Mentissa carried it as her songs were played. "Sport and music really bring people together and make us forget our daily lives," she said.
The torch made its grand entrance in Paris for Bastille Day on Sunday with military horse rider Col. Thibaut Vallette, a gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Games.
It was handed to a relay by students from the multicultural northern suburbs of Seine-Saint-Denis in front of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Former World Cup winner Thierry Henry, who leads France's Olympic football team, later carried the flame down the Champs-Elysees avenue.
Among the torchbearers who garnered significant attention was K-Pop icon Jin, a member of the band BTS, who carried it Sunday evening in front of the Louvre.
"It was an honor to be part of such a meaningful moment," he said, according to his management agency.
Jin's relay attracted a large crowd. Sofia Boukhabla, 23, said she had very little interest in watching the Games but rushed with her friends to see Jin. "He is so cute," she exclaimed.
Later on Sunday, Ludovic Franceschet, a local garbage collector, brought the flame inside Paris City Hall, where it spent the night under high protection. Franceschet, who seeks to raise environmental awareness with hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram, seized the occasion to remind residents and visitors to put their trash in bins.
The torch relay also provided the opportunity to pay tribute to victims of the 2015 attacks in the French capital at the Bataclan concert hall and elsewhere. Lassana Bathily, the Mali-born employee who saved lives during an attack at a kosher supermarket, carried the torch at the Pantheon monument.
Some spectators found solace amid recent turmoil in France.
Isabelle Kling, 70, took a detour from her usual dog-walking route to witness the relay. "It almost makes me want to cry, finally seeing the flame. It’s a bit of joy after the disastrous weeks we’ve had," she said, alluding to the recent elections in France.
The torch will continue its journey in northern France and through the Paris region before heading back to the French capital.
The Olympic cauldron is set to be lit after the opening ceremony on the River Seine on July 26.
