It's a fitting tribute to return 100 years later with the Torch Relay, and the ambition is to bring the Olympic legacy to life for as many people as possible through a tailor-made programme. Paris 2024 has been working behind the scenes with Chamonix-Mont-Blanc for several months. 

To celebrate the event and create unforgettable memories, a breathtaking ascent of the Olympic Flame to the summit of the Aiguille du Midi has taken place in the early hours of 23 June 2024 (4.20am). 

24 torchbearers took part in the adventure, all local mountain enthusiasts or specialists in mountain sports. Among them were mountain guides, Olympians and elite athletes from a wide range of disciplines, including skiing, alpine skiing, mountaineering, high-lining, paragliding and many others.   

The team will be the subject of a film highlighting the mountain environment, the sports practised by the participants and local people involved. The film was produced by Bertrand Delapierre, a mountaineer and filmmaker, in collaboration with the town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and with the support of the Caisse d'Epargne Rhône Alpes.

The 24 key athletes who took part in the ascent will be later on the sportsground at the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc venue from 18:30: 

-Blaise Giezendanner - French Ski Federation - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Olympian in alpine skiing (3rd in the World Cup and 4th in the 2018 Olympics). 

-Christophe Ville - French Ice Hockey Federation - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Olympian in ice hockey (former coach and manager of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Ligue Magnus ice hockey team). 

-Coralie Bentz - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Olympian in cross-country skiing (29 World Cup appearances and now regional coach). 

-Jonas Devouassoux - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Olympian in ski cross (World Cup winner). 

-Elodie Lecomte - National Ski and Mountaineering School - Mountain guide. 

-Nathan Paulin - Highlining (several world records). 

-Olivier Mansiot - French Mountaineering and Climbing Federation - Mountain guide, ational Technical Adviser and director of ski mountaineering competitions). 

-Margot Ravinel - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Olympian at the Youth Olympic Games Ski mountaineering (three medals). 

-Robin Valet - CRS National Mountaineering and Ski Training Centre - Mountain guide. 

-Sandie Cochepain - Paragliding (World champion). 

-Sandra Deleglise - French Ice Sports Federation - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc short track speed skating Olympian. 

-Sonia Popoff - La Chamoniarde Mountain Safety and Rescue Association - Emergency mountain rescue doctor.   

-Sophie Verrier - National Union of Outdoor Sports Centres - State licensed trainer and holder of several Brevet d'État qualifications.   

-Yann Gérome - Mountain Gendarmerie Unit - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Mountain guide. 

-Cédric Amafroi-Broisat - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Para skier Olympian (World Cup winner, sixth at the Paralympics). 

-Fleur Fouque - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Mountain Guides -  Mountain guide. 

-Jonathan Crison - French Mountaineering and Climbing Federation - Mountain guide. 

-Enora Latuillière - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc biathlon athlete (runner-up at the World Championships and now trainer for the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Club). 

-François Braud - Military Mountain Group - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Olympian in Nordic Combined (twice World Champion). 

-Mélina Zannoni - Compagnie du Mont-Blanc - Ski areas and lifts. 

-Jonathan Felisaz - National Union of French Ski Instructors Clubs - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Olympian in Nordic Combined (second in the World Cup) - Mountain guide. 

-Annabelle Bouchardon - French Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing Clubs - Member of the Excellence Group and climbing instructor. 

-Baptiste Ellmenreich - Ski mountaineer (ranked in the top 10 in the world). 

-Guillaume Baillargé - Mountain Military School - Mountain guide.

The Torch Relay in Haute-Savoie payed tribute to a number of former flag bearers from previous Winter Games. The day will end at the ceremonial site of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc with an extraordinary group relay involving 17 former flag bearers, led by Alain Calmat and Marie Bochet, who will light the cauldron on the Place du Mont-Blanc. 

To preserve the symbols so dear to Paris 2024, Martin Fourcade, the renowned five-time Olympic champion French biathlete, will pass the Torch to Carole Montillet, one of the 17 members of the group relay in a new demonstration of the strong link and continuity between past and present Olympians and Paralympians.

-Marie Bochet has won eight Paralympic titles in various Alpine skiing disciplines in the "standing" category, taking four titles in Sochi in 2014 and a four more in Pyeongchang in 2018. 

-Alain Calmat, a former figure skater and 1964 Innsbruck Olympic silver medallist, he had the honour of lighting the Olympic Cauldron in Grenoble in 1968. He later devoted his career to politics and was appointed Minister for Youth and Sport in 1984. 

-Carole Montillet, Olympic downhill champion in Salt Lake City in 2002 (no French woman had won Olympic gold since 1968).   

-Vincent Gauthier-Manuel won all three medal colours at Sochi in the giant slalom and downhill, before becoming a consultant for France Télévisions.   

-Danièle Debernard, a slalom specialist, won silver at the 1972 Olympic Games in Sapporo and bronze at Innsbruck in 1976.   

-Jason Lamy-Chappuis, Olympic champion at Vancouver 2010. He went on to become the world number one in the Nordic Combined and then the French flag bearer at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. 

-Bruno Mingeon, bronze medallist in the four-man bobsleigh at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. 

-Catherine Quittet, a former Alpine skier and World champion in Super-G and giant slalom in 1987 and 1988, was the flag bearer for the French team at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.   

-Kevin Rolland, a freestyle and acrobatic skier, won the freestyle ski halfpipe event at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.   

-Tessa Worley, a giant slalom specialist who has won 15 World Cup titles. 

-Anne Patricia Floriet, silver medallist in the 7.5 km biathlon at the 2002 Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. 

-Philippe Candeloro, figure skater, bronze medallist at the 1994 Lillehammer and 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games. 

-Fabrice Guy, Nordic combined specialist and 1992 Winter Olympics champion. 

-Romain Riboud, giant slalom World champion in the LW9-2 category at the 2004 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships for the Disabled in Wildschönau. 

-Vincent Defrasne, French biathlete, pursuit gold medallist at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. 

-Jean-Marie Frichet, a former Alpine and Nordic ski guide, Chef de Mission of the French Paralympic delegation at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. 

-Nadine Laurent, bronze medallist in the downhill at the 1992 Albertville Paralympic Winter Games.