What is the Olympic torch and what does it symbolize?

The world's top athletes will be aiming to leave the Paris Olympics in a blaze of glory. But it all starts with a single flame. The Olympic torch takes center stage on Tuesday, as the symbolic relay begins in the Greek town of Olympia. 

The torch will carry a flame all the way to Paris and will play a starring role in the opening ceremony on July 26. The lighting of the Olympic cauldron marks the official start of the Games. And then it's time for some red-hot sporting action. 

Here are seven things you may not know about the torch at Paris 2024. 

1. A big deal in a small package

The Paris 2024 torch stands 70 centimeters tall and weighs around 1.5 kilograms. There isn't just one - the manufacturers will produce around 2,000 identical torches for the Games. 

2. It's a piece of art

French artist Mathieu Lahanneur came up with the design for the torch that will be used at Paris 2024. Lahanneur posted on his website, saying the project was "a designer's dream: a dream that only comes true once in a lifetime, like a miraculous encounter with history."

3. It's not just about looks

The torch features several details that reflect the key values of Paris 2024. Organizers say its perfectly symmetrical shape is a symbol of equality. The curves and rounded lines represent a call for peace and a more gentle world. 

And then there's the 'ripple effect', a nod to the role that water will play at the Games. 

Organizers have chosen to host the opening ceremony on the famous River Seine. The torch relay will also cross several oceans, making stops at French territories around the world. 

4. It's a team effort! 

More than 11,000 people will take part in the relay that will deliver the torch from Olympia to Paris. The torchbearers represent the 'core tenets' of this year's Games - sport, communities and 'the collective.'

Organizers say the people representing 'the collective' are those who build a "more inclusive, more sustainable, and fairer society."

5. It will blaze a trail across France

The torch relay will span 400 towns and cities in France, as well as six French territories: New Caledonia, Reunion Island, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana.

The torch will head from Olympia to Athens before crossing the Mediterranean and arriving in Marseille. There's plenty of symbolism in that journey - the French port was founded by Greek settlers more than 2,600 years ago. 

The French leg of the relay will start on May 8. The torch will then travel across France and its overseas territories ahead of the opening ceremony. 

6. The tradition spans nearly 80 years

The Paris 2024 torch will be the twenty-first edition. Berlin was the first host city to hold an Olympic torch relay. That was in 1936, and organizers have commissioned a new torch for every Summer Olympics since then. 

7.The torch connects the Olympics and Paralympics

The torch will also feature at the Paralympic Games, which begin in Paris on August 28. It will be lit in England's Stoke Mandeville, the so-called birthplace of the Paralympics. A group of British athletes will travel through the Channel Tunnel, handing over the torch to their French counterparts at a meeting point roughly halfway between France and the United Kingdom. 

In total around 1,000 people will carry the torch between August 25-28. 

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday