Special report: 2008 Olympic Games

    By sportswriter Zhang Rongfeng

    By sportswriter Zhang Rongfeng

CHONGQING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The torch relay came to the Chongqing Municipality, a mountainous city, on Monday.

The relay started from the Economy Development Zone Administration square at 8:10 a.m. local time as Gu Li, a Chinese professional Go chess player, lighted the first torch.

Torchbearer Gu Li runs during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Chongqing, Southwestern China, June 16, 2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

"I decided to give up watching TV of European Championship on Sunday in order to take a good rest, but I was so excited and could not fall into sleep," said 26-year-old Gu.

"I just felt it's too slow for the clock to tick. I guess it's because I am expecting the day so much."

Gu Li is currently one of China's best Go players. Many rank him up with some of the world's best. He became a pro in 1994 when he was only 12. He's already won many titles, including all of China's biggest titles except Chang Qi cup.

Gu also won the 10th LG Cup in 2006 and became the youngest Chinese player to ever win a major international title; as a consequence, he was also promoted to 9 dan. In March 2007, he defeated Chang Hao 2-0 to win the Chunlan Cup.

The presenting partner of torch relay Lenovo had ten torchbearers running in consecutive places from 196 to 205, including a couple of vice-presidents of Levovo Group.

Participants mourn victims of the May 12 Wenchuan earthquake victims before they start the 2008 Beijing Olympic torch relay in Chongqing, Southwestern China, June 16, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Yang Zhanyu, the 206th torchbearer, was a survivor from 7.8-magnitude Tangshan earthquake 31 years ago. He is an doctor in the No. 3 Medical College of PLA and was part of the relief squad in Wenchuan earthquake last month.

"I am lucky to survive the Tangshan earthquake when I was a 12-year-old boy. I am lucky to be picked up as an Olympic torchbearer, but what I value most is I have an experience of serving in the Wenchuan earthquake," said the 42-year-old.

Yang passed the torch to Liu Gangjun, who lost the right leg in Wenchuan earthquake and finished his leg on wheelchair.

Yang, 44, was nickname "Iron Man" for cutting off his own right leg with shovel when it's stuck in the earthquake ruins.

Ye Zhaoying, a retired women's singles badminton player, received the torch from Yang.

Ye, 34, had been ranked number 1 in the world in 1995, and regained that title for many times afterwards. She obtained a bronze medal in Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 and retired after the Games.

Her main achievements include the winners of the World Grand Prix in 1995, 1997 and 1999, and the IBF World Championships in 1995 and 1997, and the IBF World Cup in 1995. She also led the Chinese team to win the Uber Cup in 1992,1998 and 2000 Sudirman Cup in 1995, 1997 and 1999. And she won the All-England Open in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Local citizens cheer during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Chongqing municipality in southwest China on June 16, 2008. (Xinhua/Zhou Hengyi) Photo Gallery>>>

The national boxing champion Li Bin was the last runner in the day. He was born in Chongqing in 1980 and credited to light the cauldron at 10:35 a.m. local time.

Chongqing is the largest and most populous of China's four provincial-level municipalities, and the only one in the less densely populated western region of China.

Formerly a sub-provincial city within Sichuan Province, the municipality of Chongqing has a registered population of over 30 million.

The torch is moving for Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and slated to take relay in Kashi in south of Xinjiang.

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