Summer Olympics torch relay

Greek singer Sakis Rouvas wears the uniform of the torch relay runners as he holds the torch of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games during a presentation of the torch relay within Greece, in Athens, Monday. The Olympic flame lighting ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 12, and will burn at the July 24 - Aug. 9 Tokyo 2020 Olympics. [AP]

Greek organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic flame lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia next month said on Monday they have taken extra measures to avoid the coronavirus' spread during the torch's months-long relay.

Greek Olympic and world champion Anna Korakaki will run the first part of the relay following the torch-lighting ceremony for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and will also be the first woman to hold that honor. The 23-year-old shooter will receive the Olympic flame from the High Priestess in a ceremony to be held on March 12 at Ancient Olympia. [Reuters]

The countdown to the 23rd Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 has officially begun, as the lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame, which took place at Ancient Olympia in the Peloponnese came to its conclusion on October 24.

The flame for the Olympic Games in Brazil has been lit in southern Greece. An actor performing the role of high priestess lit the torch by using the sun’s rays. The torch will be taken by various runners on an international relay that will culminate at the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on 5 August. The ritual was established 80 years ago for the Berlin Game