Despite some online criticism, Snoop says he knows what’s at stake for his role as a torchbearer at the Paris Olympic Games.
ADVERTISEMENTWhen Snoop Dogg agreed to become an Olympic torchbearer, the hip-hop star recalled an emotional, iconic moment watching Muhammad Ali light the cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Now, the 52-year-old US rapper hopes to recreate some of that magic for a global audience watching the Paris Olympics.
“It was emotional for all of us to see the champ holding that torch and walking up there,” Snoop Dogg said of the late Ali, who surprised the crowd when he lit the cauldron because he had Parkinson's disease.
Snoop Dogg will carry the torch in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, as the town's mayor, Mathieu Hanotin, confirmed earlier this week.
"An international casting @SnoopDogg for the final journey of the Olympic flame. With a concert by @Slimaneoff as the highlight of this day, live on @FranceTV from the square in front of the Basilica," stated Hanotin on X.
It has also been confirmed that other carriers in Saint-Denis this Friday will include French actress Laetitia Casta, French rapper MC Solaar, and Ukrainian retired pole-vaulter Sergey Bubka.
Despite some criticism online, Snoop has said he knows what’s at stake.
“This is my own version of it," Snoop Dogg said. "I don’t want to get too emotional, but I know that this is special.”
Snoop Dogg said he's thankful for being a representative from the US and France's support in him taking part.
“This says a lot about America as far as where we’re at in this world," he said during a call with sportscaster Mike Tirico and Molly Solomon, executive producer and president of NBC Olympics Production.
“At the same time, it says a lot about France as far as connecting the dots and allowing me to do this. I look at this as a prestigious honour and something I truly respect. I would have never dreamed of nothing like this. I’m going to be on my best behaviour. I’m going to be on my best athleticism. I’ll be able to breathe slow to walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face, because I realize how prestigious this event is.”
Along with his torch-bearing duties, Snoop Dogg will serve as a prime-time NBC correspondentduring the games.
“I’m going to show you why they made me the man to do it,” he said.
“I’m going to put all of my resources and energy around it with peace, love and harmony. That’s what the Olympics is all about. I feel like that’s why they chose me. That’s what I represent.”
The Olympic torch has been carried by a host of different personalities, including former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger; former World Cup winner Thierry Henry; former NBA player Tony Parker; French skier Perrine Laffont; former US football player Megan Rapinoe; K-Pop icon and member of the band BTS, Jin; and actresses Halle Berry and Selma Hayek.
ADVERTISEMENTThe identity of the personality who will be the final torchbearer for the lighting of the Olympic flame remains a closely guarded secret — although former track and field sprinter Marie-José Pérec and football legend Zinedine Zidane are among the favourites.
The Olympic cauldron will be lit after the opening ceremony on the River Seine on Friday, 26 July.
