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Home / / Olympic Torch Relay Carries on in Shanghai

Olympic Torch Relay Carries on in Shanghai

Published on 24.05.2008 - 20:13 h in China News in May,2008

Torchbearer Sun Wen runs with the torch during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shanghai, east China, on Saturday, May 24, 2008.

The Olympic torch finished its relay in Shanghai on Saturday as cares and concerns over the China's Wenchuan earthquake victims further highlighted the relay.

Former world's best female footballer Sun Wen was the first to carry the torch at 7:35 a.m. local time after one-minute silence for mourning the quake victims, starting from the Shanghai Stadium which is going to host 15 soccer matches during the Beijing Olympic Games.

"I was part of the torch relay in 2004 Athens Games. You just can't describe your feelings as you raise the torch with language. The Olympic Games is a stage to put your dream into practice and to pull off cherished honors, but the experience of twice torchbearer enable me to better understand the motto 'participation matters more than result'," said Sun, who is now a student in Fudan University as well as an official in Shanghai Football Association.

"Being a torchbearer, I translate the Olympic spirit to be never giving up and never giving in," added Sun, who is going to be a soccer technical official at the Beijing Olympics.

Major general of Shanghai firefighter squad Chen Fei ran the second leg. Chen, who just came back from the quake region, attributes the honor of being the torchbearer to his firefighting contingent and all firefighters in China.

Placards and banners could be seen along the route, reading "Earthquake is cruel, but human being is friendly", "Supporting the quake region is supporting the Olympic Games" and "Passing the torch, transferring cares".

Fifteen persons ran in the Stadium before moving on vehicles to second relay site Shanghai Communications University, where witnessed 62 torchbearers within the campus. The third relay site was arranged in the Oriental Green Boat Sports and Holiday Complex with 115 bearers passing the torch. The last spot was the Shanghai Automobile Exhibition Center staging the last sixteen.

Highlighted torchbearers included retired volleyball player Zhu Yunying, Chinese women gymnastics coach Lu Shanzhen, China's F1 initiator Mao Xiaohan, Google deputy board Chairman Li Kaifu, movie stars Li Bingbing and Ka Fai Tony Leung. Zhu Yunying was a member of Chinese silver-grabbing line-up of women's volleyball in the Atlanta Olympics.

Zhu Jianhua, China's best-ever high-jumper, was the last torchbearer, lighting the cauldron at 3:05 p.m. local time. Zhu had broken the world record three times in his career.

Donation was launched at the closing ceremony. Most of the torchbearers and spectators came up to the charity box, donating for the reconstruction of the Sichuan quake region.

The sacred Olympic flame is going to move on to Suzhou City in Jiangsu province on Sunday.

Major general of Shanghai firefighter squad Chen Fei, who just came back from the quake region, runs with the torch during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shanghai, east China, on Saturday, May 24, 2008.

Torchbearer Zhang Jie runs with the torch during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shanghai, east China, on Saturday, May 24, 2008.

Spectators cheer for the people of the earthquake-ridden southwest and northwest China's regions during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shanghai, east China, on Saturday, May 24, 2008.

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