The Tokyo Olympic torch relay is on the 2nd, the 2nd day in Nagano prefecture.

Starting from Iida City, we will visit various places, and after that, we will enter Matsumoto City, the last section of the prefecture, after 7:00 pm.

On the second day of the torch relay in Nagano Prefecture, the torch was lit by the torch of the talent Ryuta Mine, who was born in Shimojo Village at an elementary school in Iida City, and the relay started.



In the center of Iida City, runners ran under the cherry blossom trees in full bloom and connected the torch to Nagiso Town, which is lined with traditional buildings.



In Ina City, Kunimitsu Ito (66), who was selected as the Japanese national rugby union for the 10,000-meter track and field men at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but was unable to participate in the tournament against the backdrop of the Cold War, was a runner. Served.



In addition, Yuhei Sekino, a second-year junior high school student, ran in Azumino City.



Mr. Sekino's younger brother weighed only 258 grams when he was born, and was the smallest boy in the world to be discharged from the hospital. It was.



On the other hand, while the corona torch relay is required to take measures against infection, in Azumino City, there was a device to welcome runners by installing a photo of a smile so that they can support without gathering along the road.



However, in some sections, spectators seemed to be crowded, and there were also scenes where security volunteers and others were holding placards with the words "Social Distance" to call attention.



After that, after 7:00 pm, the relay will start in Matsumoto City, which is the last section of the prefecture, and the torch relay in Nagano Prefecture will end around Matsumoto Castle.

"Phantom Olympian" Kunimitsu Ito runs in Ina

Kunimitsu Ito (66), who ran in Ina City, Nagano Prefecture, is a "phantom Olympian" who was selected as a representative of the 1980 Olympics but could not compete.



Mr. Ito started athletics in the wake of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.



During his active career, he played an active part in marathons and 10,000 meters for men, and won the title of national athlete at 10,000 meters for men at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.



However, Japan withdrew from participation due to the Cold War, and Mr. Ito became a "phantom Olympian."



About 40 years after that, Mr. Ito had the opportunity to be involved in the Olympic Games as a torchbearer for the Tokyo Olympic Games.



Now, I'm worried about the influence of the new coronavirus, and I wonder if some athletes will not be able to participate in the Olympics like myself.



While responding to the support of the locals, we hoped that the Tokyo Olympics would be held safely and connected the torch.

Mr. Ito, who finished the run, said, "I was able to see that there was a runner named Kunimitsu Ito in my hometown and felt the beginning of the Olympics. I want active athletes to head for the Tokyo Games."



And it was Mr. Taishi Ito (18), a local long-distance runner who graduated from Sakuchosei High School, a strong school on land, who connected the torch.



Mr. Ito said that he wanted the Olympic athletes to be born from his hometown and called out to Mr. Taishi, "Go to the Olympics." I'm happy. "

There are also scenes where citizens are crowded near the Ina event venue

Many citizens applauded the runners along the roadside of Ina City, which is the route of the third section of the second day at the torch relay in Nagano Prefecture.



Of these, near Central Park, which was the venue for the event celebrating the arrival of the torch, there were scenes where people crowded in to see the runners at a glance.



Along the road, security volunteers and others were calling attention to prevent infection by showing placards such as "social distance" and "support with applause."