Executive vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games Liu Jingmin (2nd R), Chinese ambassador to Argentina Zeng Gang (R) and Argentine Olympic Committee (COA) vice president Alicia Masoni de Morea hold the Olympic flame lamp at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, at 17:00 local time (20:00 GMT) April 10, 2008. The Beijing Olympic torch run in Buenos Aires is due to begin on Friday after the San Francisco relay ended smoothly on Thursday despite route changes made to ensure the dignity of the Olympic flame and the safety of torchbearers. [Xinhua] |
BUENOS AIRES -- The Olympic flame arrived in Buenos Aires on Thursday for the seventh stop of its global journey.
The route in Buenos Aires is set to pass Women Bridge, Casa Posada, May Square, City Hall, Obelisk, Rose Garden and Equestrian Club, going through the Seven-Nine Street and Liberation Street. The destination is located outside of the River Plate Stadium. A rowing relay will be presented under the Women's Bridge.
Argentine legendary soccer player Diego Maradona in this file photo undated. [Xinhua] |
High-profiled torchbearers are legendary soccer player Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistuta, Anderes D'Alessandro. The last torchbearer is retired tennis player Gabriela Sabatini.
Maradona is a former Argentine football player. He played in four World Cups and received the FIFA Player of the Century award, after being voted in 2000 in an Internet poll on the organization's website to decide the best player of the 20th century.
Maradona won many trophies with Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona and SSC Napoli over the course of his career. During an international career that included 91 caps and 34 goals, he played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments, leading the Argentina national team to its victory over West Germany in 1986 World Cup, in which he collected the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player.
