PARIS — For all the years-long buildup to the Olympic Games in Paris and all the overwhelming spectacle of the Opening Ceremony along the Seine River, there’s one closely guarded secret at the heart of it all: Who will light the cauldron to begin the 2024 Summer Olympics?
The highest ceremonial honor a host nation can bestow, the cauldron lighter is traditionally an Olympic figure of the highest standing — think Muhammad Ali in Atlanta in 1996, or Naomi Osaka in Japan in 2021. We already know Snoop Dogg will be carrying the torch for part of its final run, but Snoop — not exactly a well-known French athlete — likely won’t be doing the final honors. Here are 10 potential nominees for the role on Friday night:
Renaud Lavillenie: A pole vaulter, he won gold in 2012 at London and silver in 2016 at Rio. He won a total of 20 medals across a range of international competitions throughout the 2010s.
Laure Manaudou: Won France’s first-ever gold medal in women’s swimming when she captured the 400m freestyle event at the 2004 Athens Games. She also won silver and bronze that Olympics, making her only the second French woman to win three medals at a single Games. She also competed in the 2008 and 2012 Games.
Kylian Mbappé: One of the finest soccer players on the planet, Mbappé captains the French national team and, until recently, starred for Paris-St. Germain. He now plays for Real Madrid, which blocked his opportunity to play for France in the 2024 Olympics.
Tony Parker: A French high school legend who was inspired by Michael Jordan, he won four NBA championships playing alongside Tim Duncan for the San Antonio Spurs. He played for several medal-winning national teams throughout his NBA career.
Marie-José Pérec: One of France’s most famous Olympic athletes, Pérec won three gold medals in track and field over the 1992 and 1996 Games. She was named an Officer of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest commendation, in 2013.
Michel Platini: Three-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, Le Roi (“The King”) is one of France’s most famous soccer players of all time. He was seventh in FIFA’s “Player of the Century” rankings, and helped organize France’s 1998 World Cup tournament.
Thomas Pesquet: An incredibly popular French astronaut, he played the French National Anthem on saxophone during the end of the 2020 Summer Olympics … while orbiting the earth on the International Space Station.
Teddy Riner: Standing 6-foot-8 and weighing 290 pounds, Riner — nicknamed “Teddy Bear” — is one of the most physically imposing athletes in French history. A three-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, he triumphed in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Games.
Omar Sy: One of France’s best-known actors, and the star of the hugely popular 2011 French film “Intouchables.” American audiences know him from the Netflix show “Lupin” or his appearances in the Jurassic Park and X-Men franchises.
Zinedine Zidane: One of the finest soccer players of all time, he won the 1998 Ballon d’Or, led France to the 1998 World Cup, and was named the 2006 World Cup Player of the Tournament. Like Pérec, Lavillenie and Riner, Zidane has been awarded a Legion of Honour commendation. He is one of only a handful of players to have won the World Cup, the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.