THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) was not considering ending the torch relay, IOC president Jacques Rogge told France 3 television Tuesday.

He said protests that disrupted the relay in London and Paris would not cause torch relays to be canceled.

When asked about reports that the torch relay would be stopped, Rogge said: “It’s a false rumor. There is no discussion under way on the matter and we do not envisage such a scenario.”

“We will, of course, analyze the route of the torch since the beginning from Olympia to Paris, although the next stage is San Francisco. That’s what we are doing and we will make regular evaluations.”

However Rogge emphasized: “We are not in the dynamic of stopping (the relay).”

The flame was lit in Olympia, Greece, on March 24 and is being relayed through 21 cities outside the Chinese mainland. (SD-Xinhua)