The torch relay for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games was lit in ancient Olympia on Monday, more than 100 days before the Games, as a number of Tibetan protesters attempted to protest inside the Olympic cradle.

The Chinese capital will become the first city to host both the Winter and Summer Games when it hosts the event from February 4 to 20 next year, under the theme "Together for a Shared Future".

The torch was lit in the cradle of the ancient Olympics under heavy police guard.

The fans were not allowed to attend the lighting ceremony due to the measures to prevent the Corona virus pandemic.

The first torchbearer in the "symbolic" Olympic torch relay in Greece will be Greek alpine skier Ioannis Antonio, and he will be one of only three competitors to take part in the symbolic relay.

Because of the sanitary measures of the epidemic, the traditional Olympic torch relay has been canceled in Greece, as it will only be moved from the old stadium to the memorial to the founder of the modern Olympic Games, French Baron, Pierre de Coubertin, and then it will be transferred to the Athenian Acropolis, before being delivered on October 19 to the delegation Chinese at a formal ceremony.

Foreign fans will not be allowed to attend the Winter Olympics in Beijing, and tickets will be distributed only to residents of China.