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New start date for the Olympic torch relay delayed by virus
(Agence France-Presse) – September 28, 2020 – 3:24 h
TOKYO – The Tokyo 2020 torch relay, which was suspended when the Olympics were delayed by coronavirus, will begin next March from Japan’s Fukushima region, organizers said Monday.
The Olympic flame had already reached Japan from Greece and the relay was days away from beginning earlier this year when organizers and Olympic officials made the historic decision to postpone the Games for 12 months.
The flame is currently on display in Tokyo.
The relay will now begin on March 25, 2021, starting in the Fukushima region affected by the nuclear disaster after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The relay, which will see the flame travel to all 47 prefectures of Japan, is organized under the motto “Hope lights our way” and aimed to highlight reconstruction in areas devastated by the 2011 disaster.
“In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will also symbolize the light at the end of the dark tunnel; a beacon of hope for the world in the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Games, a symbol of the resilience, unity and solidarity of humanity, “the organizers said in a statement.
The route and the schedule of the relay will remain the same “in principle”, although the statement noted that the route and the venues “may be revised in light of the Covid-19 situation.”
The postponement of the Games has caused significant logistical problems and additional expenses for the organizers.
As a result, organizers have been forced to identify a number of cost-cutting measures, which will include smaller vehicle convoys for the torch relay and a simpler launch event.
The postponed Games are scheduled to open in Tokyo on July 23, 2021.
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