The Olympic flame for Tokyo 2020 touched down in Japan early on Friday to start its 121-day Olympic Torch Relay journey around the country, bringing a message of peace and hope to the world.

Imoto Naoko was part of the Japan swimming team at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, where she finished fourth in the 4x200 freestyle relay. Whilst that was certainly a fond memory for her, ever since, the 43-year-old former Olympic swimmer has devoted her life to helping others.

The scaled-down ceremony in Athens featured gold medallists, emotional addresses and a message of hope and unity, with the flame now set to travel to Japan. The Olympic flag was raised, and the national anthems of Japan and Greece sounded, as the Olympic flame handover ceremony took place at Athens’ iconic Panathenaic Stadium.

Switzerland’s Thomas Bussard made a great impression in winning the first men’s ski mountaineering event at the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020. 

Australian cross-country skier Zana Evans, whose parents are both Olympians and came to cheer her on at Lausanne 2020, speaks about following in their footsteps and the importance of having such strong family support.

At the age of just 20, Sweden’s Hanna Öberg shocked the biathlon world by winning Olympic gold at PyeongChang 2018 without missing a single shot. She says her singular focus and ability to stay calm under pressure will be key in her pursuit of even greater success.

On the second day of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Executive Board (EB) meeting, the organising committees of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 reported on their progress. 

Republic of Korea’s glittering short track skating dynasty is in good hands judging by the form of Choi Min-Jeong, who overcame early heartache at the Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang 2018 to leave with two gold medals and a renewed confidence that sees her striving for even greater success at the start of 2020.