A unique mystery has emerged around the identity of the hooded runner carrying the Olympic Flame, who made their appearance at the opening ceremony on Friday, July 26.
The strong sensation caused by the unidentified runner on Friday night has already led to the first speculations about who the person carrying the Olympic flame, crossing Paris and performing parkour on the streets of the French capital, might be.
While it remains unknown whether the runner is a man or a woman, 21-year-old French parkour champion and Red Bull athlete, Lilou Ruel, reposted a story on Instagram from Le Monde, featuring the mysterious runner. This has led to suspicions that she might be the one behind the mask.
So, who is Lilou Ruel?
The French parkour athlete began her journey with speed skating when she was young but discovered her true passion at the age of nine. A neighbor introduced her to parkour at that age, teaching her how to perform front and back flips.
“I enjoyed it and practiced every day. Then I was invited to join his club. It was love at first sight,” the gymnastics.sport website quoted her.
Initially practicing at her family home and in her garden, where she set up scaffolding to learn more moves, Lilou actively entered the competitive scene at the age of 16 and competed in her first Red Bull Art of Motion in 2019.
In 2021, she won gold at the World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Two years later, she became the world champion in freerunning and made history as the first woman to clear the iconic “Manpower” jump in Évry, France. After a full year of training, she successfully conquered the 4.5-meter gap at a daunting height of 15 meters. According to Red Bull’s website, Lilou aims to become a stuntwoman in films.
The Hooded Runner Reminded People of the “Phantom of the Opera”
The runner with impressive parkour moves initially appeared holding the Flame on a boat, with the accompanying music reminiscent of “The Phantom of the Opera” and costumes resembling those from the film. They then made jumps from building to building, interrupting the coverage of Nations arriving by boat on the Seine River. Later, they were seen heading towards the Louvre.
People expected that the identity of the mysterious runner would be revealed at the end, but this did not happen. The runner simply handed the torch to Zinedine Zidane and disappeared. There are hopes that their identity might be revealed at the end of the Games, but for now, it remains speculation.
The Spectators’ Imagination Runs Wild
A user on “X” jokingly suggested: “If this hooded runner is not Celine Dion, then what are we doing here?” Another commented: “For some strange reason, I’m expecting it to be Leonardo DiCaprio.”
It’s somewhat peculiar—or perhaps intentional—that the official “Louis Vuitton” account on X posted: “A hooded runner crosses the rooftops and workshops of the Maison at Pont Neuf, revealing the expertise of the artisans of #LouisVuitton Medals for the Paris 2024 Olympics.”
What is certain is that the person behind the mask was not Snoop Dogg. Footage of the American rapper was shown before and during the Ceremony on the Seine River and clearly attracted all the attention.
Another internet user also involved Kylian Mbappé in the story: “The most famous French footballer, Kylian Mbappé, is not participating in the Olympics due to his commitments in the European Championship in Germany. Did he swap his Ninja mask for darker masks at the Olympic Opening Ceremony?” they wondered.
Just before the end of the ceremony, the hooded runner with the Flame began running and performing jumps with great ease and skill, reminiscent of a gymnast.
The theory linking the runner to the video game “Assassin’s Creed” remains a popular choice. Produced by the French company Ubisoft, which released an animated image of the main character Arno on a rooftop, looking towards the Louvre. The “Assassin’s Creed” account on X fueled the speculation with the post: “Keep your eyes on the rooftops of Paris – Arno might be watching from above,” accompanied by the eyes emoji.
In a more playful mood, another user claimed, “The Flame runner is the Unknown from the ‘Willy Wonka’ Experience.” Perhaps the identity of the hooded figure will be revealed during the Closing Ceremony on August 11. Or they might surprise us by winning a gold medal in fencing!
