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Olympic torch relay Beijing leg starts
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-06-09 09:18
The Olympic torch relay in the Chinese capital began on Wednesday as part of
the Olympic flame's global voyage through the world's five continents ahead of
the Athens Games in August.
The torch was lit at 9:16 am (0130GMT) at the East Gate of the Great Hall of
the People by the giant Tiananmen Square in downtown Beijing and the
55.6-kilometer relay through the Chinese capital began right after. The relay
will be concluded late this afternoon in the Summer Palace in northwestern
Beijing.
Yu Zaiqing, the
first torch bearer starts Olympic flame relay in Beijing June 9,
2004.[Xinhua] |
Yu Zaiqing, vice-president of
the Chinese Olympic Committee and a member of the International Olympic
Committee, is the first torch bearer of the Beijing relay and China's NBA star
Yao Ming is the last. The Olympic flame embarked on a 78,000-kilometer
(46,800-mile) journey across six continents and 33 cities when it left Greece on
June 2. For the first time in history, the flame will visit Africa and South
America.
The torch relay returns to Greece on July 9 for the second half of its
domestic relay before the start of the Aug. 13-29 Olympics.
Chinese students
celebrate at the start of the Beijing leg of the global relay of the
Olympic flame in front of the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square
June 9, 2004. [Reuters] |
Yu Zaiqing passes
the Olympic flame to the next bearer Ruan Ye in Beijing June
9,2004.[Xinhua] |
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