Winter Youth Olympics flame to hit Lausanne street soon

LAUSANNE - 200 runners will conduct the final relay of the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic flame in 20.20-kilometer distance through the streets of Lausanne on Wednesday, organizers announced on Monday.

The relay will take place in two phases through two routes, the first down town in the morning and the other in the city center in the afternoon.

The symbolic event will be the last public appearance of the Olympic flame before the Olympic cauldron is lit at the opening ceremony on Thursday, which marks the opening of the 3rd Winter Youth Olympic Games held in the Olympic capital.

As an Olympic tradition dating back almost a century, the relay will mark the conclusion of the flame's journey across Switzerland since September 19, 2019, following its traditional lighting in Athens, Greece a day earlier.

The 200 runners have been selected from the sports associations and clubs in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, as well as schools, colleges and academic institutions that have contributed to the organization of Lausanne 2020. Sports personalities and independent individuals selected by the organizers will also be involved in the relay.