Source: CCTV.com

07-31-2007 17:50

Special Report:   2008 Beijing Olympics

Carrying an Olympic flame in a torch relay is a dream come true for many people. With the Games quickly approaching, the desire to become a torch bearer both in China and abroad is skyrocketing. In today's feature, we find out more about the torch bearer program for the Beijing Olympics, and about those who carried the flame in the previous Games in Athens.

The dream for a Beijing Olympic torch bearer starts chronologically.

On April 26th 2007, Beijing's Millennium Monument played host to a grand ceremony that saw the unveiling of the Beijing Olympic torch and its global route."Cloud of Luck" by name, the torch features cultural highlights and innovative creations, taking on an elegant shape. Carrying the torch to run in the 137 thousand-kilometer route would be a dream come true for many people.

Then the opportunity for an individual to fulfill his or her dream became possible as Beijing's Olympic Organizing Committee or BOCOG unveiled its torch bearer plan on June 23rd, 2007. The opportunity and access for ordinary people to be a torch bearer was a promise made by BOCOG.

Over 21,000 people will be able to carry the flame and run in the relay. More than 19,000 are from China and nearly 2, 500 from overseas countries.

Under IOC and BOCOG guidelines, torch bearers will be selected by relavant organizations.