Olympic torch to start 121-day journey across Japan for Tokyo Games

When organizers decided last year to postpone the Tokyo Olympics due to COVID-19, they also moved to leave the Olympic torch — which had just been lit in Greece and transported to Japan — on display in a Tokyo museum.

Now, the rescheduled Games are approaching, and the torch will once again be on the move. 

On Thursday, the flame will start its 121-day journey across the 47 prefectures of Japan, traveling from Fukushima to the Olympic cauldron in Tokyo for the opening ceremony on July 23. Roughly 10,000 runners are expected to carry the torch at some point along the way.

Meanwhile, organizers are continuing to work through the logistics of hosting this summer's Games, announcing over the weekend that international spectators — including the friends and families of athletes — will be barred from attending. It remains unclear how many Japanese fans will be permitted to enter each venue, though a decision is expected in the coming weeks.

Closer to home, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee leaders say they are optimistic that all U.S. athletes will have access to COVID-19 vaccines "well before" the Games begin. And American athletes in several sports — including fencing and rowing — have just recently booked their tickets to Tokyo, joining dozens of others who secured their spots prior to the arrival of the pandemic.

Here are some of the other Olympic storylines you might have missed in recent weeks.