Stage 42 — Olympic Torch Relay — Culture, heritage and table tennis get the party started in the Moselle!

History and know-how are central

Today the Olympic torch showed off the natural wonders of the Moselle department and its regional know-how. It set out in Meisenthal, famous for its glass tradition, and visited the Glass Museum, the International Glass Art Center and the Halle Verrire. The next stop was Sarreguemines, known for its faience, where it crossed the River Sarra on the Pont de l'Europe. A while later, once in Forbach, it ended up in the shadow of the 13th century Schlossberg Castle.

The Olympic torch then celebrated the idea of ​​Europe in the city of Apach, known as the tripoint of France, Luxembourg and Germany! He flew past the Apache Eiffel Tower in France, made a detour to the European Schengen Museum in Luxembourg and entered German soil. After his passage through Thionville and Yutz, another encounter with European history awaited him, when he burned in front of the house of Robert Schuman, one of the Founding Fathers of Europe.

From there, the Olympic torch headed to Metz, where the department's festivities took place. It highlighted the sporting venues, including the multi-sports palace Les Arnes, the cultural temples, such as the Centre Pompidou-Metz, and the historical sites, including Porte Serpenoise and Place d'Armes. The cauldron was lit at the end of the day on the Place de la République, where the party venue had been set up.

A country steeped in the ethics of the Games

The passage of the Olympic torch through the Moselle was a great opportunity to underline the enthusiasm of this department for the Paris 2024 Games. Moselle has been awarded the “Terre des Jeux2024” label, while it has four sports venues designated as preparation centres for the Olympic Games. Seven foreign delegations, representing more than 360 athletes and the accompanying staff, will visit the department this summer to refine their preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It just goes to show how life and sport are intertwined in the Moselle. You can see it in everyday life, with a wide range of sports venues and the successes of top clubs such as Metz Handball, the most decorated club in team sports in France.

Table tennis in the front and center of Metz

Metz hosted today the team relay, organized by the French Table Tennis Federation. The sport is extremely popular and could provide a few medals for the French delegation to the Paris 2024 Games. The location was no coincidence: the Metz club has won the European Cup, participated in the Champions League and won several French ProA championships.

Table tennis legend Jean-Philippe Gatien led the relay. One of history's most decorated players, Gatien is a two-time Olympic medalist (silver at Barcelona 1992 and Sydney 2000) and world singles champion (1993). Jean-Philippe was joined by a further 23 table tennis enthusiasts and license holders, showcasing the diversity of people who contribute to the vibrant table tennis scene. The group included Pauline Chasselin, who competed in the Tokyo Games; the international player Charlotte Lutz; the referee Aurore Dussart; and coaches Christian Martin and Jrme Humbert.

Leading figures, athletes and celebrities committed to the cause

Nearly 150 torchbearers took part throughout the day, including famous athletes such as footballer Sylvain Kastendeuch, a legend of FC Metz from the 80s and 90s. He was accompanied by Michael Jeremiasz, a wheelchair tennis player with four Paralympic medals from Beijing 2008 and the French flag bearer in Rio 2016.

Allison Pineau, one of the most decorated players in French handball, took the final relay. The 35-year-old Olympic gold medalist, world champion (2017), European champion (2018) and former World Player of the Year (2009) lit the cauldron in Metz, where she played from 2009 to 2012 and won the French championship.

The residents of the Moselle cheered on the Olympians Sophie Villaume-Hubert (swimming, Beijing 2008) and Patrick Moyses (handbike, Seoul 1988). Other notable participants included athletes Marie-Jos Brunet (judo), Jean-Christophe Cour (sailing), Charles Muzzoli (gymnastics) and Pierre Grousselle (race walking). Journalists Graldine Weber (Discovery Channel) and Ins Lagdiri-Natasi (France Tlvisions) also carried the torch.

These personalities shared the spotlight with everyday heroes such as Marie-Franoise Thul, the president of Moselle's Secours Popculaire, and Ouarda Kebali, who launched Club Olympique Lutte Woippy, which offered wrestling lessons to young people in a sensitive area of ​​Metz.

After this grand celebration in the Moselle, the Olympic torch will continue its journey tomorrow to Haute-Marne, from Langres to Saint-Dizier, where the department's forests, natural areas and heritage will be showcased, including the Château de Nogent and Colombey-les-Deux-Glises, General de Gaulle's peaceful retreat.

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Image Credit: France Tlvisions Paris 2024 / Credit: IOC

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