A source said that there had been “speculation that the flame might be placed on the Eiffel Tower"Getty Images
The Olympic flame for the duration of the Paris Games is “set to burn in the Tuileries Garden in front of the Louvre museum,” according to a source cited by Cyril Touaux of the AFP. The source said that the decision to place the Olympic cauldron in the “tourist hotspot” in the center of the city was made “several weeks ago.” The source added that there had been “speculation that the flame might be placed on the Eiffel Tower,” while organizers also “contemplated putting it in the courtyard of the Louvre, the world's biggest museum.” It was “unclear” if the cauldron would be lit inside the Tuileries or whether it would be “transferred there after the unprecedented opening ceremony” on July 26, which is “set to take place on boats along the nearby river Seine.” The torch relay for the Paris Games will begin on April 16. The flame is then “set to travel through 400 French towns and dozens of tourist attractions” during a 7,500-mile journey over the mainland and overseas French territories in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific (AFP, 3/27).
SECURITY MEASURES: NBC’s Keir Simmons noted there is a “massive security operation” surrounding the Paris Games, as 45,000 security personnel will be placed across the city during the event. It is expected that 350,000 people will attend the Opening Ceremony, and officials plan to “search and secure every neighboring rooftop.” Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said, “We will continue to defend the values of our country and to welcome the world.” Simmons noted officials are “adjusting things,” as they have “cut the number of spectators by half” from initial projections and everyone will need to have a ticket to attend. Additionally, French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week announced 400 more soldiers will be on guard “to protect the Games” (“Today,” NBC, 3/27).
TRAVELING IN FASHION: WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY’s Miles Socha reported Louis Vuitton has “created bespoke trunks to house the torches -- and the medals that will be bestowed on winning athletes” this summer. The first trunk will “come into public view” on May 8, when the Olympic torch begins its journey from Marseille to Paris. The trunks are to be officially unveiled Wednesday night at Louis Vuitton’s historic workshops and the founding family’s home in Asnières-sur-Seine, just outside of Paris. Socha noted the trunks are designed to “protect and display the torches, each equipped with circular sockets in the base and the lid to securely hold in place the metal objects.” The exterior of the torch trunks “bear Vuitton’s signature canvas in a checkered Damier pattern” with “brass corners and closures.” The interiors are “done up in black leather to avoid scratches on the torch surface.” They are “inspired by its ‘malle coiffeuse’ originally made for hairdressers” (WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 3/26).
