World's oldest person pulls out of torch relay for Tokyo Olympics

The world's oldest person, a 118-year-old Japanese woman, has decided not to take part in the torch relay for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics over pandemic fears. An official at her nursing home said on Wednesday.

 

The official said that, Kane Tanaka, who was awarded a Guinness World Record, was slated to be one of the relay participants in Fukuoka in southern Japan, which will start on May 11.

 

The



Olympic torch relay, which kicked off in March, has been hit by a coronavirus outbreak. Six people who helped with the torch relay were diagnosed with COVID-19. The Tokyo 2020 organisers said on Sunday, that the total number of cases involved in the event increased to eight.

 

Some celebrities who were due to take part have withdrawn from the relay due to safety reasons amid the pandemic.