Shortened Olympic torch relay starts for Beijing Games

BEIJING (AP) — The three-day torch relay for the Beijing Olympics has started with an 80-year-old former speedskater carrying the flame. The relay has been shortened considerably because of concerns about the coronavirus. Luo Zhihuan ran the first leg. He is the country’s first internationally competitive speedskater. The torch will be carried through the three Olympics zones. It will start with downtown Beijing before heading to Yanqing district and finally Zhangjiakou in neighboring Hebei Province. The Beijing Games have already been impacted on a scale similar to that experienced by Tokyo during last year’s Summer Olympics. China says only selected spectators will be allowed to attend the events.