Paris — The Olympic flame will make the final leg of its long journey on Friday to the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on March 15. Sena River in the heart of the City of Light. A star-studded cast of torchbearers has been called upon to carry the torch – including rapper Snoop Dogg.
The 52-year-old American pop culture icon will carry the Olympic calls to the suburb of Saint-Denis, north of Paris, which is home to the Stade de France Olympic stadium and the Olympic Village.
Although he’s best known for his music, Snoop is no stranger to the world of sports. He founded the Snoop Youth Football League nearly 20 years ago to help give inner-city kids an opportunity to play the game.
He will also be involved in Olympic coverage. NBC said in a declaration in December that Snoop Dogg will provide “regular reporting” during NBCUniversal’s coverage and give “his unique take on what’s happening in Paris.”
Snoop was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. in Los Angeles, the city that will host the next Summer Olympics in 2028.
This year’s torch relay began with a rap star, too. One of Marseille’s most famous sons, singer Jul, was chosen to light the Olympic cauldron on May 8, when the flame first arrived in France.
Since then, the torch relay has passed through nearly 500 cities and towns and several famous landmarks on its way to Paris for the opening ceremony on July 26.
Several French celebrities were also chosen to carry the torch on the final day, including rap star MC Solaar and actress Laetitia Casta.
The final stage of the torch relay on Friday begins in the streets of Saint-Denis. It will pass near the city’s basilica, where many of France’s kings are buried.
O flame will make a stop at the Olympic Village for athletes and staff to admire. It will be the only chance for some athletes to take part in the opening day festivities. Most of those who will be taking part in real sporting events the following day said they will spend Friday training or resting and then go to bed early.
Some men’s football and rugby teams will already be competing, with their games starting before Friday’s official opening. Both sports start early because the number of nations involved means more rounds and, given the rest periods required, they take longer to complete.
The torch relay will continue along the canal linking Saint-Denis to Paris. It will pass the Stade de France and the new Olympic Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis – the only Olympic venue built from scratch for the Games. It will be used for diving, water polo and synchronised swimming events.
Architects Cécilia Gross and Laure Mériaud told CBS News they had to get creative when designing the pool’s bottom and lanes to accommodate the different activities that take place there, while still making it look like a regular pool from above.
True to the Paris Games’ promise of sustainability, the aquatics center will be repurposed after the Olympics and used as a local pool in the impoverished suburb with a large youth population.
The flame will continue to central Paris and join a flotilla on the Seine for the opening ceremony on the river. Organizers have not yet revealed the name of the final torchbearer, who will light the Olympic cauldron to signal the formal opening of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.
Super star Celine Dion is expected to perform at the ceremony, along with Franco-Malian singer Aya Nakamura, whose name was reportedly suggested by President Emmanuel Macron. Social media was abuzz with rumors that Lady Gaga was spotted in Paris on Tuesday, leading to speculation that she could also be part of the opening night lineup.
This story was originally published by CBS News on July 23, 2024 at 1:51 p.m. ET.
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