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The flame of 2004 Athens Olympic Games will arrive in Beijing on the morning of June 8 (Beijing Time). The 78,000-kilometer-long torch relay, which will last 78 days throughout 35 cities in 27 countries, is the first global torch relay in its real sense ever in the history of Olympic Games.

Athens Olympic flame is supposed to stay one day in each city except Beijing which will keep it for two days. The torch bearers, recommended by various parties including Beijing municipality, Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the 29th Olympiad (BOCOG) and Samsung Company, will definitely be in the limelight. What brings Samsung into the torch relay is its hope that sports lovers all over the world can share the spirit of Olympics through the torch relay.

Olympic torch relay is connected with people's ideal in seeking Olympic spirit. Some of the torch bearers are household names such as Liu Guoliang, Sang Lan, Yang Lan, Wang Yifu and Li Xiaopeng.

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Besides, quite a few ordinary people, each of whom has his or her story, are also included in the squad. 66-year-old Wang Gongquan and 14-year-old Ye Lu are just among them.

Wang, who entered the Department of Mathematics of Peking University (PKU) at 19 with then the highest score in Shandong Province, devoted himself to software development in Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) after graduation and has been working in compute science throughout his life. His dedication can also be found in sports as he has been enjoying his morning jogging for 60 years uninterrupted.

The 400-meter torch relay is no problem for Wang, the exciting thing to whom is that he can have such an opportunity. As an Olympic fan, and an ordinary person loving sports, it will be significance for him to participate in such an activity in capital Beijing, said Wang. Wang hoped that people can face their lives with an active attitude as Olympic spirit is promoted.

14-year-old Ye Lu, a correspondent with Beijing Children's Weekly, was once "guard for environment protection" during Beijing's bidding for host of 2008 Olympic Games.

As a schoolgirl, Ye Lu organized her fellows to pick scrapped batteries in shopping centers, participated in the "Desert Today, Oasis Tomorrow" campus tour exhibition. She also participated in programs for environment protection organized by China Children's Center as a self-funded volunteer. During Beijing's bidding campaign, Ye exchanged with audience her feelings on the bidding, environment protection and sports at China Central Radio Station. She was also involved in TV features produced for Olympic Games, in which she tried to let more and more people have the awareness of environment protection.

Wang Gongquan and Ye Lu, though over half a century apart, are influencing people around with their steps conveying the spirit of Olympic Games.

By People's Daily Online