Olympic torch relay postponed by Olympic postponement

The Olympic flame is displayed during a public ceremony in Fukushima City, Japan, Tuesday, March 24, 2020. The Tokyo Olympic torch relay will start Thursday as planned in northeastern Fukushima prefecture, but with no torch, no torchbearers, no public, and little ceremony. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

TOKYO — The Olympic torch relay was postponed Tuesday because the Tokyo Games themselves were pushed back to 2021.

Organizers had planned to go ahead with the relay, starting Thursday, despite the spreading coronavirus pandemic. But shortly after the International Olympic Committee officially postponed the games, the president of the organizing committee said the relay would not go ahead.

“For the time being, the flame will be stored and displayed in Fukushima,” Yoshiro Mori said.

The relay was expected to start in northeastern Fukushima prefecture with no torch, no torchbearers and no public.

The flame arrived from Greece on March 12.