SWIMMER Ophelie-Cyrielle Etienne suffered an embarrassing glitch during the Paris Olympic torch relay on Saturday.
The bronze medallist had attempted to ignite the cauldron with the flame in Manosque.
However, the cauldron failed to catch fire after two attempts from Etienne.
The French athlete, who claimed bronze at London 2012, suffered from a technical problem according to officials.
It came after successful ceremonies in Marseille and Toulon earlier in the week.
Saturday marked the third stage of the Olympic torch’s 78-day journey ahead of this summer’s games in Paris.
The French capital will host the event for the first time since 1924 and for the third time overall.
Around 10,000 runners are set to carry the torch through 400 towns and cities ahead of the opening ceremony on July 26.
Overseas territories including Guadeloupe, New Caledonia and Reunion will also feature on the relay.
Eight-time gold medallist Usain Bolt unveiled the torch last summer ahead of the relay.
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The games will run through to August 11 following the opening ceremony in July.
Organisers are currently planning for the ceremony to take place on the River Seine.
Athletes from the participating countries will sail down the water on barges.
However, the ceremony could be moved to the Stade de France in the wake of threats from ISIS last month.
The death cult threatened attacks during the Champions League quarter-finals, which included a match in the French capital.
