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This picture taken on May 7, 2008 shows
tents at the Attack Camp of Mt. Qomolangma, at the altitude of 8,300
meters in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Chinese mountaineers
will carry the Beijing Olympic flame to the top of Mt. Qomolangma on May
8, an official of the Beijing Olympics organizing committee announed at
the Base Camp of Mt. Qomolangma on May 7. (Xinhua/Luo Shen)
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By Wang Jimin and Bianba Ciren
QOMOLANGMA, Tibet, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese
mountaineers on a mission to carry the Olympic flame over the top of Mount
Qomolangma will start their last spurt to the world's highest peak on Thursday,
said Shao Shiwei, an official with the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th
Olympic Games (BOCOG) on Wednesday night.
"The headquarters at the Base Camp made the decision
on the basis of the weather conditions and the climbers' physical conditions,"
said Shao, deputy director of the communications department of the BOCOG.
"The route and all the camps along the way up have
been finished, the climbers are all in good shape and they will choose proper
timing tomorrow to ascend the mountain and carry the Olympic flame over it,"
added Shao.
Beijing promised in its bidding reports seven years
ago that the sacred flame of the Olympics would reach the snow-covered peak. It
will be the first time for the Olympic torch relay to be held on the
8844.43-meter mountain.
The Olympic flame's first trip atop the mountain
which spans Nepal and southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region will also be
televised live.
Shao on Wednesday night also announced the 19-member
squad who will take on the final assault, one short-listed from the 36-strong
team announced one day earlier.
According to Zhang Zhijian, spokesman of the Chinese
Mountaineering Team, the last-minute torch bearers need to be physically and
mentally strong.
Shao said the 19 climbers will fall into starters and
backup group, with 12 and 7 in each.
The starters, headed by Nima Ciren, principal of the
Lhasa Mountaineering Guide School, include 8 ethnic Tibetans, 3 Han Chinese and
one from ethnic Tu.
The Beijing Olympics torch relay is the longest and
most ambitious ever planned, traveling 137,000 kilometers across five continents
in 130 days. The torch has returned to the Chinese mainland at the beginning of
May and is scheduled to tour Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province on May
8.
But as the side relay progress on Qomolangma, the
main relay will take a day off.
The Olympic flame was lit in Greece on March 24 and
before kicking off its global tour the flame has been split, with part o fit
brought to Mt. Qomolangma for the high-profile summit ceremony.
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Graphics shows the list of mountaineers
forming the team that will be accompanying the Beijing Olympic flame up
Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua Photo/Ma Yan)
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Graphics shows the route on the north slope along which the Beijing Olympic flame is to be carried to Mt. Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Ma Yan)
Photo Gallery>>> |
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This picture taken on May 7, 2008 shows
tents at the Attack Camp of Mt. Qomolangma, at the altitude of 8,300
meters in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.(Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>
|
 |
|
This picture taken on May 7, 2008 shows
tents at the Attack Camp of Mt. Qomolangma, at the altitude of 8,300
meters in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.(Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>
|
 |
|
This picture taken on May 7, 2008 shows
tents at the Attack Camp of Mt. Qomolangma, at the altitude of 8,300
meters in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region(Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>
|
