Olympic flame for Paris 2024 Summer Games lit in Ancient Olympia

Actress Mary Mina, in the role of an ancient Greek High Priestess, lights the torch during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic flame that will be burning for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games started its journey after being ignited at the birthplace of the Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece on Tuesday during a traditional ceremony.

Actress Mary Mina, in the role of an ancient Greek High Priestess, lit the torch using a backup flame instead of a concave mirror due to cloudy skies before the 2,500-year-old Temple of Hera, a goddess in ancient Greek mythology.

Approximately 600 torchbearers will carry the Olympic flame over some 5,000km across Greece, passing through dozens of cities and archaeological sites, according to the Hellenic Olympic Committee.

The flame will be handed over to the Paris 2024 organizers on April 26 at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, the venue of the first modern Olympics in 1896.

The following day, it will board Belem, a French three-masted vessel that was launched in 1896, on Piraeus port.

Olympic Rings formed by young people are seen during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

The Olympic flag, French national flag and Greek national flag (L to R) are raised during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou (2nd L), President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach (3rd L) and President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and Member of the International Olympic Committee Spyros Capralos (1st L) are seen ahead of the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

President of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee Tony Estanguet (C) is seen ahead of the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Actress Mary Mina, in the role of High Priestess, lights the torch during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and Member of the International Olympic Committee Spyros Capralos delivers a speech during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

President of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee Tony Estanguet delivers a speech during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach delivers a speech during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

President of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee Tony Estanguet delivers a speech during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou (1st R) watches the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and Member of the International Olympic Committee Spyros Capralos delivers a speech during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach delivers a speech during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Greek actress Mary Mina, in the role of High Priestess, lights the torch during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

The first torch bearer, Greek rowing Olympic champion Stefanos Ntouskos, runs with the Olympic torch during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Greek actress Mary Mina (front R), in the role of the High Priestess, passes the flame to the first torch bearer, Greek rowing Olympic champion Stefanos Ntouskos (front L) during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Actresses perform during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

An actress playing the role of an ancient priestess releases a dove during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Actresses perform during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Greek actress Mary Mina, in the role of High Priestess, shows the flame during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

An actress playing the role of an ancient priestess releases a dove during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Greek actress Mary Mina (front), in the role of High Priestess, shows the torch during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Actresses perform during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Greek actress Mary Mina (front), in the role of High Priestess, performs during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on April 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)