The Olympic torch relay wound up its emotion-charged two-day run through Shanghai yesterday.
A brief opening ceremony to start the final day was held at Shanghai Stadium at 7:30 AM, while in the drizzle a minute's silence was observed for victims of the Sichuan Province earthquake.
Soccer star Sun Wen was the first torchbearer in yesterday's relay and couldn't contain her enthusiasm. "I was so excited that I could not fall asleep last night," Sun said.
Soccer star Sun Wen is the first torchbearer in the Olympic torch relay on May 25.
General Chen Fei, chief captain of Shanghai's firefighters, received the flame from Sun, triggering cheers from flag-waving spectators around the stadium.
Knee injuries
One of the true troupers was Chen Fei, 53, chief commander of the 1,500-member rescue team in the epicenter of Yingxiu Town in Wenchuan County. He had been working continuously from May 14 to 20 in an area with no water or electricity and little food.
Yet Chen was back in the city at midnight on Thursday to prepare for yesterday's relay. He headed straight back to Sichuan after his section.
Although he received knee injuries while climbing on rugged rocks on the 60-kilometer march from Dujiangyan to Yingxiu Town, Chen ran his section of relay energetically.
Ji Fenhua, mother of Olympic men's 110-meter hurdles champion Liu Xiang, was also one of the torchbearers at Shanghai Stadium yesterday. Liu Xiang's father, Liu Xuegen, completed his section of relay on the Bund on Friday.
"I did not expect that all three members of our family would be torchbearers, and the experience is precious,'' Ji said. "We will treasure all three torches in our home."
Shanghai's own Liu Xiang ran with the torch during the welcoming ceremony for the Olympic flame and the launching of the Beijing Olympic torch relay at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on March 31.
Yesterday, after leaving Shanghai Stadium, the flame arrived at Oriental Land in Qingpu District about 10:30am. The atmosphere hit fever pitch when the flame was passed along by 115 torchbearers in Oriental Land, with hundreds of thousands gathered along the route. Torchbearers shouted "Go, go China, Go, go Beijing, Go, go the Olympics and Go, go Sichuan" with the crowd.
The flame then set off for the Automobile Museum at Anting Town in Jiading District, the last Shanghai stop.
A huge crowd witnessed the closing ceremony about 3pm which ended with donations and a chorus of "Hand in Hand," composed to encourage people to unite and carry on during the SARS crisis.
Olympic hype aside, the message was clear: Sichuan, we are behind you all the way.
(Shanghai Daily May 25, 2008)