The Olympic flame started its trip to Tokyo after its lighting at the stadium in the archaeological site at Ancient Olympia. Due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country, speactactors were excluded form the event and around 100 people were able to attent it.
The event took place in the presence of President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopios Pavlopoulos and IOC President Thomas Bach, as well as member of Japan’s government.
#Greece: Lighting the flame for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Let's hope they are not postponed due to #coronavirus. #CoronavirusPandemic …
pic.twitter.com/K1OsSFCfrE— Dimo Yagcioglu (@DimoYagcioglu) March 12, 2020
The flame was lit naturally, using the rays of the sun at Olympia.
Το ταξίδι της Ολυμπιακής Φλόγας ξεκίνησε!
Δείτε στιγμιότυπα από την αφή της Ολυμπιακής Φλόγας & τη λαμπαδηδρομία σήμερα στην Αρχαία Ολυμπία.
Ο Αντιπρόεδρος @MargSchinas & η Επίτροπος @GabrielMariya συμμετείχαν ως 3ος & 4η λαμπαδηδρόμοι αντίστοιχα@HellenicOlympic @EC_AVService pic.twitter.com/PS9e3FZYYY
— Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή 🇪🇺 (@EEAthina) March 12, 2020
First torch bearer was Greek Olympic champion Anna Korakaki, who delivered the torch to the 2004 Olympic Marathon winner in Athens, Mizuki Noguchi, at the Pierre de Coubertin Monument.
European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas and European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel ran as the third and fourth torchbearers respectively.
Hollywood star Gerhard Butler will ran with the Olympic Torch in the Sparti section on Friday.
Kalamata will be the first stop of the Olympic Torch relay on Greek soil has a duration of eight days.
