The Olympic torch relay through Greece has been cut short due to the corona virus. The decision was taken by the Greek Olympic Committee on Friday due to the huge public interest along the route of the torch.
The ceremony of igniting the Olympic fire took place last Thursday in Olympia, Greece. No audience was present.
Since 1936, the torch has been taken via a relay race from Olympia to the city where the Olympic Games are organized. The Olympic flame is scheduled to be transferred to the Organizing Committee of the Games in Tokyo on March 19 in Athens. That will also happen without an audience.
It is the third time in the history of the Summer Games that the Olympic torch relay has been interrupted. This previously happened prior to the 1948 London Games and the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, it is by no means certain whether the Games in Tokyo will continue. Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) indicated that it was confident that the event would take place ‘normally’.
Last Wednesday, Yoshiro Mori, the chairman of the organizing committee of the Tokyo Games, emphasized that there are no plans to postpone the event due to the corona virus.
Follow the latest developments around the virus in the sports world in us live blog.
The coronavirus in short
- The virus mainly spreads through cough and sneeze droplets that hang briefly in the air.
- An infected person infects two to three others on average. This number may decrease with proper precautions.
- The vast majority of patients have mild (flu-like) complaints.
- Almost all deaths concern older or already sick people. You can protect these people with precautions.
- Read here what the most important precautions are.
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