Han Ximin

THE Olympic flame will start its long-anticipated 41.6-kilometer relay in Shenzhen today.

The flame, which arrived in the city last night after wrapping up the relay in Guangzhou, will leave the Citizens’ Center at 8:15 a.m. today for a tour of the city before reaching its destination at the Shenzhen Stadium.

“We have prepared welll for the nearly 11-hour torch tour,” said Qiao Hong, deputy Party chief of the local sports bureau at an interview yesterday.

Torchbearers were eager to experience the historic moment while receiving a two-hour training course at the Shenzhen Academy Hotel, where the flame was kept overnight.

“I feel quite honored to be the first runner and I hope it will be a good start for all torchbearers,” said Xiao Junfeng, a former student at the Shenzhen Sports School and a gymnastics gold medalist at the Sydney Olympics.

Xiao, now a postgraduate at Xi’an Sports University, had rehearsed several times after arriving in Shenzhen on Tuesday. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance and I will cherish it,” said the 29-year-old.

“What I must do now is to try not to get overexcited,” said Wang Qihong, the final torchbearer of the relay. Wang, 32, is now a coach at Shenzhen Sports School and a rhythmic gymnastics champion.

To keep calm, she said she would have a haircut to freshen up and have a good sleep ready for the relay today.

(More relay photos on Page 8 )