Mayor of Marseille Benoit Payan, center, raises the Olympic flag with Head of Paris 2024 Olympics Tony Estanguet, center right, after a press conference at the Marseille City Hall, southern France, Friday, Feb. 3. 2023. (Photo: AFP)

The torch relay for the 2024 Paris Olympics will start in the southern port of Marseille, organizers announced on Friday. "It was a natural and clear choice," said chief organizer Tony Estanguet, evoking Marseille's historical links with the home of the Olympics, Greece.