One of the greatest celebrations in the world of sports, the Olympics, was about to begin! The organizers had not overlooked even the smallest detail (if you could call such a big name a detail). Rapper Snoop Dogg carried the Olympic flame on the final leg before the opening ceremony. That year's games were truly interwoven with art.
Snoop Dogg will carried the Olympic torch in the final phase through the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, where, according to the city's mayor Mathieu Hanotin, a concert by French singer Slimane will take place in front of the basilica. The 52-year-old American rapper has been named as one of the final torchbearers before the Friday opening ceremony in Paris, before the relay ends at the Eiffel Tower. The opening ceremony was scheduled to begin around 7 PM and officially kicked off the 33rd Olympic Games.
The hip-hop legend and author of the hit "Drop It Like It's Hot" has been preparing for this relay. In early July, he ran an exhibition 200-meter race in Oregon, clocking in at 34.44 seconds. Snoop Dogg will also be involved in the Olympic coverage for the American television network NBC Universal. "I grew up watching the Olympics and I'm thrilled to see these incredible athletes bring their best to Paris. It's a celebration of skill, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence," Snoop Dogg said in a December statement from NBC.
The torch was traditionally lit in Greece, at the site of ancient Olympia where the Games were born, and then carried by relay runners across France. In the 68th leg of the relay, the torch will pass through the Olympic village, then by the aquatic center and Stade de France stadium, before reaching the banks of the Seine where the Olympic flame will be ignited. After the Olympic Games, a second relay will follow, featuring 1,000 runners carrying the Paralympic flame to light the cauldron again for the opening of the Paralympic Games on August 28. The opening ceremony will take place on Friday evening on the Seine, with athletes parading on boats.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games begin on Friday, July 26, and will run until August 11. These Games are not only a return to Paris but also a return to the cultural Olympiad. The city will host a wide range of exhibitions, workshops, shows, and performances focusing on art and sport. The program of this unique showcase can be found on the official Olympic website. The heart of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, would surely rejoice.
The torch will also be carried by French actress Laetitia Casta, French rapper MC Solaar, former footballer Lilian Thuram, boxer Jean-Marc Mormeck, and former Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergey Bubka.
The symmetrical torch is reportedly inspired by the Seine River itself and was introduced by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur as the first of its kind. The design symbolizes a new era of the Olympic Games, emphasizing equality, unity, and peacefulness among athletes.
Will Snoop Dogg be the first rapper to carry the torch? Not at all. According to The Guardian, others like Sean "Diddy" Combs during the Athens 2004 Olympics, Dizzee Rascal, and Black Eyed Peas singer Will.i.am at the London 2012 Olympics have done so before.
