In today's news: 2011 World Cup winning Japan squad begin Olympic Flame torch relay, Chelsea secure first ever win over Wolfsburg in the Champions League and France mourns the death of former snowboard world champion Julie Pomagalski.

Japan national team gets Olympic torch relay underway

After the 2020 Olympics were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the torch relay has finally gotten underway in Japan. The 121-day event marks the long-awaited build up to this summer's Games, which will see 10,000 runners pass the torch across Japan before the lighting of the Olympic cauldron on July 23rd at the opening ceremony.

Members of the Japanese football side who won the 2011 Women's World Cup lit the flame during a ceremony in Fukushima earlier today. Led by Azusa Iwashimizu, the squad marked the start of the preparations ahead of the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.

The Japanese football team took home silver at the 2012 Olympics in London, losing out to the USA in the final 2-1.