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TOKYO, March 16 (Xinhua) – Japanese marathon star Suguru Osako and World Cup winning soccer player Nahomi Kawasumi confirmed on Monday that they would not attend the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic torch relay that begins next week. .
Osako, who broke the Japanese national record multiple times, said he is training in Kenya and will not be able to fly home to relay on opening day in Fukushima on March 25.
The 29-year-old, whose best finish was 2:05:29, will compete in his second Olympics this summer after making his debut four years ago in Rio.
Kawasumi, 35, who guided Japan to the World Cup in 2011, said it is difficult to make travel arrangements during the coronavirus pandemic from the United States, where it is based.
Her national teammates Mana Iwabuchi and Saki Kumagai, who play in Europe, also declined the opportunity to participate.
Members of the 2011 World Cup winning team will carry the torch in the first national stage of the relay, while Osako was listed as the third torchbearer last year before the Olympics were postponed.
More than 30 torchbearers, including dignitaries such as star actress Takako Tokiwa, actor Rugger Tohru, former Japanese international rugby player Yu Tamura, and sumo star wrestler Shoudai Naoya, have also decided not to run the torch relay. which will take 121 days and cover all 47 prefectures across Japan.
Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto has announced that all retired torchbearers are welcome.
The seven-time Olympian, whose first name “Seiko” means Olympic flame in Japanese, said running the torch relay is a “tremendous honor” and a “great opportunity.”
“I am sure that as many people as possible will participate in the torch relay,” she told reporters earlier this month. Final product
