Reigning 25 metres pistol shooting champion Anna Korakaki will receive the Tokyo 2020 flame from the high priestess Xanthi Georgiou after the ceremony where the flame is kindled from the rays of the sun on March 12.

Korakaki said it was a "great honour" to be chosen. 

"I am thrilled and I think the feelings will get even more intense after that time in Ancient Olympia.

"I am looking forward to living that moment and I'm sure it will remain engraved in my mind and heart for the rest of my life."

She won gold in the 25m pistol and bronze in the 10m air pistol at Rio 2016 and was also chosen as an "Athlete Role Model" for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

Korakaki becomes the first female athlete to carry the Olympic Flame in the precincts of the ancient stadium and is also the first reigning Olympic champion to do so, although gymnast Eleftherios Petrounias went on to win Olympic gold after receiving the first torch in 2016.

Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) President and International Olympic Committee member Spyros Capralos said: “It is a historic moment as for the first time in history a female athlete will be the first Torchbearer. 

"I believe that Anna Korakaki has honored the Greek flag and our country, and she deserves it, not only for the two medals at the Rio Olympics but also for her successes after 2016.”

Karakaki will carry the torch from the ancient stadium and along to a tree-lined grove where she will visit the monument to Baron Pierre de Coubertin and acknowledge the founder of the modern Olympics.

Shortly afterwards, Korakaki will hand the Flame to 2004 marathon gold medallist Mizuki Noguchi in the first exchange of the relay. 

It will be the first time two women have been the first to ‘’kiss’’ torches in an Olympic relay.

The HOC has also confirmed that Rio 2016 pole vault gold medallist Katerina Stefanidi will light the ceremonial cauldron at the Panathinaiko stadium in Athens before the formal handover of the Flame to representatives of Tokyo 2020.

Stefanidi is also running for election to the IOC Athletes' Commission.

Rehearsals for the ceremonies in Olympia and Athens are in full swing, with 35 priestesses and 12 young men.

The flame will also be lit by a new High Priestess, Georgiou, who most recently lit the flame for the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games. 

It will be her first time in the role at Ancient Olympia, although she has danced in the flame ceremony as one of the priestesses since 2008.

Head choreographer and ceremony director Artemis Ignatiou told insidethegamez.biz: “Xanthi has all the qualities.

"The High Priestess must be an actress of some experience, have a strong and nice voice since we don't use microphones and also and most important, she must have the maturity to bear the important role of the High Priestess. 

"She was my choice and this was unanimously accepted by the HOC.”