Excitement is building as the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will officially open on Friday, July 26th
Over the next two weeks, 10,500 athletes from over 200 countries are expected to compete in 329 events across 32 sports.
This is the third time that France’s capital city has hosted the games, but the first time in 100 years. They previously had the honor in 1900 and 1924. Competitions will take place at many of Paris’ iconic locations, including the Champs-Élysées, the Eiffel Tower, and the Seine River.
The Olympic games are not only a celebration of athletic excellence but of pride in one’s country.
What is the significance of the Olympic Torch?
In the months before the Olympic Games, thousands of torchbearers carry a torch on foot from Olympia, Greece, to the Games’ host city. This practice dates back to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and was created to promote a connection between the ancient and modern-day Olympics.
Although the torch’s physical design changes each time, the weather-resistant flame symbolizes the strength of the human spirit, and the tradition celebrates peace and friendship among nations.
At the end of the relay, one final person uses the torch to light the Olympic cauldron, which signifies the beginning of the Games and is only extinguished once the Games have officially concluded.
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Two country artists have had the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch
In the 88 years since the Olympic torch relay tradition began, only two country music artists have had the honor of participating – Loretta Lynn and Shania Twain. Both artists helped pave the way for women in country music, so it is fitting that they had the opportunity to carry a literal torch as well.
Country music royalty Loretta Lynn served as a torchbearer prior to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. She carried the iconic flame in Louisville, Kentucky, in December 2001.
Shania Twain was the final person to carry the torch in her hometown of Timmons, Ontario prior to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. She proudly paraded the flame into the Olympic Village on New Year’s Day in below-freezing temperatures. After the historic experience, she reflected:
“I feel proud, very proud. It’s a highlight of my life to be able to carry the flame, to light the cauldron.”
Watch Shania Twain carry the torch and light the cauldron for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in the video below!