Highlights in Beijing torch relay

During the Athens Olympic torch relay in Beijing on June 9, altogether 148 torch-bearers from all walks of life across the country were lucky enough to personally experience this grand, heart-stirring event, some of them were particularly attractive:

The youngest torch-bearers

Fourteen-year-old Ye Lu and He Zhouling are the youngest torch-holders this time in Beijing. One of the two girls, Ye Lu, is not only a junior correspondent with Chinese Teenagers News, but also an activist in Beijing's bidding for hosting the 2008 Olympic Games and environment protection. He Zhouling is a student from a school under the Project Hope program in a mountainous area in Guizhou Province. She, too, was lucky enough as she fulfilled her Olympic dream by leaving her hometown and coming to Beijing for the first time. She has become a heroine-like figure, a glory to her fellow-townspersons.

Na Zhong

The oldest torch-bearer

Seventy-three-year-old grandpa Na Zhong participated in the torch-relay contingent in the capacity as one of those dwellers whose houses were pulled down for the construction of Olympic facilities. Grandpa Na Zhong's family members had been living near the present construction site of Olympic venue for five generations, they moved out of the old house two years ago to make way for the Olympic Games. Over the past year, the elderly has been trudging 50 kilometers to see the progress of the construction almost every day by changing buses three times. As an ordinary citizen, he is concerned about and supporting Olympics in the simplest way.

The most extraordinary torch-bearer

Sang Lan

Unlike other torch-bearers, Qi Kaili and Sang Lan completed the relay seated on wheelchairs. Qi Kaili is the fencing and table tennis champion of national games for the handicapped and now is the manager of a website. And Sang Lan, now a student of Peking University, has ceased setting foot on sports grounds ever since her injury. They were accorded especially warm cheers and applauses as they raised the torches seated on their wheelchairs.

The "veteran" torch-bearer

The overwhelming majority of the 148 torch-bearers took part in the Olympic torch relay for the first time, but Ma Guoli was an exception. Ma had participated in four torch relays: in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics and the torch rely in Beijing this time.

The most relaxed torch-bearer

"Sun boy" Tian Liang was not running with the torch in hand as were other torch-holders, Instead, he was carried by a long-awaiting dragon boat. Sailing on the Kunming Lake under the glow of the setting sun, he just needed to raise his head with a youthful smile, and the whole relay process was completed.

The tallest torch-bearer

Athens Olympic flame ends tour in Beijing

Every one concerned about the torch relay knows, the last torch-bearer Yao Ming must be the tallest one. When the 2.26-meter giant was on, he must bow to shun the branches of the willows lest they should get burned. As the absolute leader of the men's basketball team of China in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, Yao will definitely cut a fine figure in the Athens Games this summer.

By People's Daily Online