Over 500,000 torchbearer applications received for Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay

The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) announced Thursday that by the close of registrations, a total of 535,717 applications had been received from members of the public hoping to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay as torchbearers. 

From June this year, the four Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners—Coca-Cola Japan, Toyota Motor Corp, Nippon Life and NTT Communications—and individual Olympic torch relay task forces set up by each of the 47 prefectures in Japan in collaboration with Tokyo 2020 started accepting applications from those hoping to participate as Olympic torchbearers. Members of the public were able to submit up to five applications via the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners and/or through any local prefecture where they had a personal or family connection. Successful applicants will only be selected once. 

The torch relay will feature around 10,000 torchbearers, including men, women and children from a wide range of nationalities, ages and abilities. The presenting partners and prefectural task forces will select prospective Olympic torchbearers based on the information submitted by applicants, and forward their recommendations to Tokyo 2020, who will select the torchbearers based on these recommendations. Announcement of the successful applicants will be made starting in December.

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