The Tokyo Olympics Holy Fire Relay, which started in Fukushima Prefecture, departed from Soma City, which was severely damaged by last month's earthquake, which is said to be the aftershock of the Great East Japan Earthquake, on the 26th of the second day. I ran about 19 kilometers in the municipality and finished the planned day's journey with a goal after 5:30 pm.
Approximately 10,000 runners will participate in the Tokyo Olympic Torch Relay, which began on the 25th, and will travel to 47 prefectures over 121 days.
On the 26th of the second day, we left Soma City, where the route was changed due to the great damage caused by the earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of 6 or higher last month, around 9 am, and after that, access is still severely restricted due to the nuclear accident. After passing through Iitate Village, where the difficult-to-return area remains, I entered Fukushima City.
In the afternoon, I entered the Aizu region, and in Inawashiro-cho, a person with a torch slipped down the slope on Mt. ..
According to the Games Organizing Committee, another municipality was planning to raise the torchbearer to the observatory overlooking the valley according to the passing time of the train, but due to strong winds etc., the progress was delayed and it was not possible to keep up. It means that the order has been changed.
The torch, which was connected by more than 100 runners running 19 kilometers in nine cities, towns and villages, was lucky to the goal point in Aizuwakamatsu City by Motoko Obayashi, a former Japan national team for volleyball who served as the final runner after 5:30 pm. The scheduled 26th journey is over.
As the spread of the new coronavirus infection has not subsided and there are constant doubts about holding the tournament, the Organizing Committee is calling for viewing while avoiding crowding, but in the center of Fukushima City and Aizuwakamatsu City, it is along the road. Many people packed up and couldn't secure enough distance from front to back and left and right, and there were multiple places where they seemed to be densely folded in multiple rows.
The torch relay in Fukushima Prefecture will depart from Minamiaizu Town on the 27th and then head to Koriyama City, the goal point in Fukushima Prefecture.
Even accidents where the torch is extinguished by strong winds
At the torch relay on the 26th, there was an accident in which the torch of the lantern that ignited the runner's torch was also extinguished by a strong wind.
Yukichi Shoji (15), who was the first runner in Iitate Village on the second section of the second day, said, "I tried to light the torch from the lantern before the start, but the lantern was lit. The fire went out and the staff brought in a spare lantern and ignited the torch. I think it's only because the wind was strong. "