The torch's journey through Hauts-de-Seine, home to Europe's largest business district, was emotional and vibrant. Paris La Defense is also a true "Land of Games", counting down to the Paris 2024 Games with field hockey, swimming, water polo and marathon events.

Hauts-de-Seine is a hotspot of excitement. From the Grand Siècle Museum to La Seine Musicale, the people of Hauts-de-Seine enjoy a rich cultural environment.

It was in this setting that the Olympic torch made its way from Chateaubriand, in the heart of the Vallée aux Loups park, to Nanterre, with more than 200 torchbearers taking turns to spread the enthusiasm for the thirty-third modern Olympic Games.

Some of the biggest names in French sport were present, including Charles Coste, the oldest living French Olympian, tennis champion Amelie Mauresmo (25 WTA titles) and former handball player Olivier Girault.

A standout moment was the appearance of torchbearer Hakim Arezki, who won silver in blind football at London 2012, much to the delight of the crowd.

There was also time for the equestrian team to wow the crowds at the Haras de Jardy, one of the sanctuaries of French equestrianism, located in the heart of the Vaucresson forest and recognised as a French equestrian school and centre of excellence.

A few hours later, the French Taekwondo Federation organised its team relay on the streets of Gennevilliers, an iconic site that has produced numerous champions, including athletes from Asnieres-sur-Seine who will be competing at the Paris 2024 Games.

Pascal Gentil, an iconic figure in French taekwondo after winning Olympic bronze medals in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, led the relay.

The next stage was in Rueil-Malmaison, with visits to the Château and Parc Bois-Préau. The torch stopped at the Yves de Manoir departmental stadium, between Gennevilliers and Colombes, a symbolic stop just days before the first field hockey competitions were to be held in the stadium. Another emotional moment was the route to Mont Valérien in Suresnes, a powerful symbol of resistance and peace.

The Olympic Games are not just about sport, and the Cultural Olympiad also took part with the Parade(s) festival, which brought a festive atmosphere to the passage of the torch through Nanterre, from the Gabriel Péri stadium to the Parc Andre Malraux. Combining circus, street theatre and dance, the Parade(s) festival gave the torch relay a rhythmic touch with artistic performances from the "Cultural Olympiad". The cauldron was lit against the spectacular backdrop of the Arc de la Defense.

Judoka Gevrise Emane, winner of five European titles and a bronze medal at London 2012, then had the honour of lighting the cauldron under the Arc de la Défense.

Among the runners were athletes who have made history at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, including some who have stood at the top of the podium. Charles Coste, for example, is the oldest living French Olympian (he turned 100 this year) and won gold in the team pursuit at the 1948 London Games. 

Also present were swimmer Nadia Salhi, Paralympic gold medallist at Los Angeles 1984, fencer Frédéric Delpla, gold medallist at Seoul 1988, and Olivier Girault, who led the French handball team to gold at Beijing 2008. 

Other torchbearers included Hakim Arezki, who won silver in blind football at the London 2012 Paralympics, and Pauline Déroulède, the French wheelchair tennis champion who qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Basketball player Benjamin Sene, who now plays for Nanterre, former international footballer Laure Boulleau and tennis champion Amelie Mauresmo, who has won 25 singles titles on the WTA circuit, were also on hand to celebrate the third Olympic Games to be held in France.

One of the highlights was the much-anticipated kissing of the torch by the Olympic family. The President of the Los Angeles 2028 Organising Committee, Casey Wasserman, and the President of the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee, Andrew Liveris, posed with the Paris 2024 torch in the streets of Boulogne-Billancourt.

The excitement surrounding the Olympic Torch is growing by the day in the Paris region and will culminate when it visits Seine-Saint-Denis, the country's newest department, on Thursday, the penultimate day of its journey through France before the official opening of the Games on Friday at 19:30 CEST.