Art Soccer Zidane? Athletics King Perec? Who will light the torch?
Astronaut Pesque and film director Omar ‘2015 Paris terror attacks survivors also candidates
Zidane
No matter how long you wait, he doesn’t show up. That’s why the interpretation that “he’s not showing up because he’s the torch bearer for the opening ceremony” is gaining traction. This is the story of Zinedine Zidane (52), the “maestro of art soccer.”
When the Olympic torch relay takes place, all the sports stars from the host country are usually mobilized. However, Zidane has never been in charge of the Paris Olympic torch relay. There was a good opportunity. The Olympic torch, which was collected in Athens, Greece, arrived in France via the Port of Marseille on a sailing ship. Zidane was born to an Algerian immigrant family that settled in Marseille. That’s why it was expected that Zidane would be in charge of lowering the torch from the ship to French soil. Zidane did not even attend the torch landing ceremony.
The American Sports Illustrated (SI) commented, “Having Zidane, a Muslim, light the torch will be an opportunity to prove France’s spirit of ‘tolerance.’” Zidane, who led France to the 1998 World Cup trophy at home, will become the first soccer player to light the Olympic flame if he lights the cauldron at the opening ceremony of this Olympics.
Marie-José Perec (56), a track and field star who won three gold medals in the 1992 Barcelona (one) and 1996 Atlanta (two), is also being mentioned as a strong candidate. Perec is a black woman who immigrated from French Guadeloupe in the West Indies and is considered the right person to symbolize this Olympics, which is promoting a “completely open competition.”
Perec already served as a torch bearer during the Cannes Film Festival in May. However, since Tony Estanguet, the president of the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee, stated that “we will not exclude those who have been torch bearers from being candidates for the torch lighter,” Perec also has a chance.
Among non-sports stars, Thomas Pesquet (46), who spent 396 days in space, Omar Sy (46), a film director and actor who works between France and Hollywood, and a survivor of the Paris terrorist attacks in November 2015 in which 130 people were killed by an Islamic extremist group, are also being considered as candidates. Since the main theme of the opening ceremony is diversity, several people could be in charge of lighting the torch. 파워볼사이트