An athlete lights the Olympic torch during the olympic flame handover ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics on March 19, 2020, at Panathenaic Stadium in central Athens, a venue used during both the 1896 and 2004 Olympics.(Photo/Agencies)
The flame for this summer's Tokyo Olympics left for Japan on Thursday after it was handed over by Greece at a drastically scaled-down ceremony, amid increasing fears over the spread of the new coronavirus.
Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou lights the Olympic torch during the olympic flame handover ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics on March 19, 2020, at Panathenaic Stadium in central Athens, a venue used during both the 1896 and 2004 Olympics.(Photo/Agencies)
A perfomer stands next to the Olympic flame during the olympic flame handover ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics on March 19, 2020, at Panathenaic Stadium in central Athens, a venue used during both the 1896 and 2004 Olympics.(Photo/Agencies)
A perfomer stands next to the Olympic flame during the olympic flame handover ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics on March 19, 2020, at Panathenaic Stadium in central Athens, a venue used during both the 1896 and 2004 Olympics.(Photo/Agencies)
Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou hands over the Olympic torch to Greek Sports Minister and HOC President Spyros Capralos during the olympic flame handover ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics on March 19, 2020, at Panathenaic Stadium in central Athens, a venue used during both the 1896 and 2004 Olympics.(Photo/Agencies)
Former swimmer Naoko Imoto who competed for Japan at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and now lives in Greece, receives the Olympic flame during the frame handover ceremony on March 19, 2020, at Panathenaic Stadium in central Athens, a venue used during both the 1896 and 2004 Olympics.(Photo/Agencies)
Former swimmer Naoko Imoto, left, who competed for Japan at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and now lives in Greece, receives the Olympic flame during the frame handover ceremony on March 19, 2020, at Panathenaic Stadium in central Athens, a venue used during both the 1896 and 2004 Olympics.(Photo/Agencies)