Snoop Dogg to carry Olympic torch ahead of opening ceremony in Paris

The hip-hop legend will carry the flame in Saint-Denis and is also contributing to American TV network NBC’s Olympic coverage this summer

Snoop Dogg will carry the Olympic torch ahead of the Games starting this Friday (AP)

American hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg will be among the torchbearers carrying the Olympic flame in the final stretch before the opening ceremony of Paris 2024 this Friday.

Snoop Dogg, 52, will carry the torch through the streets of Saint-Denis – the northern Paris suburb that is home to the Stade de France Olympic Stadium – the town’s mayor Mathieu Hanotin confirmed on X/Twitter.

“Saint Denis: last step before the Eiffel Tower. An international cast @SnoopDogg for the last stretch of the Olympic Flame,” Mr Hanotin wrote.

The Saint-Denis stretch is the penultimate leg of the flame’s journey before the relay ends at the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony, which is due to start around 7pm BST and officially kickstarts the Olympics.

The Olympic torch has crossed France since starting its journey in May, being carried by the great and the good of the celebrity sporting world, including former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, F1 driver Charles Leclerc and actress Halle Berry.

Other carriers of the torch in Saint-Denis on Friday will include French actress Laetitia Casta and French rapper MC Solaar.

Snoop Dogg will be busy this summer as he is also contributing to American TV channel NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. The rapper has some previous broadcast experience – having co-commentated on UFC fights due to his friendship with UFC boss Dana White and having joined comedian Kevin Hart for some light-hearted presenting on NBC’s Peacock online streaming service during the last Olympics in Tokyo.

This year, he’ll have a more formal role by contributing to the Olympics Primetime coverage on NBC’s main channel on a nightly basis. He is probably better known in the sports world for his Snoop Youth (American) Football League, whose championship game is called the “Snooper Bowl”.