Belarus's Tsikhan, a double world champion, was included in the Relay despite having been found guilty of doping offences after retrospective testing meant he was stripped of his 2004 Olympic silver and 2005 World Championship gold.

Meanwhile, Olympic basketball gold medallist Ivan Edeshko recreated a famous sporting moment from 47 years ago when the Flame of Peace arrived in his home town.

In 1972, the USSR faced the United States in the Olympic basketball final and Edeshko launched a defence-splitting pass to Aleksandr Belov, who scored the winning basket for the Soviet Union in a memorable finale.

The dramatic climax to the match was replayed on big screens in Grodno as Edeshko, now 74, threw the ball to a young player to complete the move.

The original moment in 1972 was one of the most talked about in Olympic history. 

The US had moved one point ahead and the final buzzer apparently sounded, but the USSR claimed they had called a time out at three seconds. 

Officials insisted the clock was reset and in that instant, Edeshko sent his decisive pass forward.

The whole episode was retold in a 2017 movie called "Three Seconds".

A local Olympic hero from an earlier generation also carried the Flame. 

Yelena Volchetskaya won her gold in team gymnastics the last time the Olympics were in Tokyo back in 1964. 

She was in the same team as the legendary Larissa Latinyina and later was one of the first to coach Olga Korbut.

A traditional dance performance had begun festivities in the city’s Lenin Square.

Cyclists joined the relay which visited the Kalozha Church of Saints Boris and Gleb, a building which dates back to the 12th century.

The Flame had also been part of the city day celebrations in the railway town of Baronovichi. 

It visited the railway museum, the state university and the 558th aircraft repair plant. 

It has also been transported on a giant construction vehicle.