Olympic torch relay in Greece ends early

ATHENS Greece’s Olympic committee said it had cancelled the remainder of the Olympic torch relay through the country on Friday to avoid attracting crowds that could raise the risk of coronavirus contagion.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch relay got underway Thursday when the flame was lit by the rays of the sun in ancient Olympia in a scaled down ceremony.

The flame’s journey in Greece had been due to last seven days. On Friday it arrived in the Peloponnese town of Sparta, where Hollywood actors Billy Zane and Gerard Butler, star of the 2009 movie 300, also ran as torchbearers.

The Hellenic Olympic Committee said the opening leg of the relay attracted unexpectedly high crowds, forcing it to suspend the remaining stops after consultations with the Greek Health Ministry and the International Olympic Committee.

The handover of the flame to the Tokyo Games organizers will take place as scheduled in the Greek capital Athens on March 19 — without spectators.

“I hope it carries on. There was a time when, you know, in the ancient days, all wars would stop for the Olympics,” Zane told Reuters.

“It feels like we’re at war collectively and the common enemy is corona.”

By late Friday, Greece had registered 190 confirmed cases of coronavirus and one death.

The Japanese Olympic Committee said it will continue to collaborate closely with all relevant organizations to ensure the torch relay begins safely March 26 and for a secure Games opening in July.