Special report: 2008 Olympic Games

People cheer for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay and care for the people of the earthquake-ridden southwest and northwest China's regions during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shanghai, east China, on May 23, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    By sportswriter Zhang Rongfeng

    SHANGHAI, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic torch relay continued on Friday after three-day condolence suspension for the earthquake dead in Sichuan Province as four quake rescuers passed or are set to pass the torch.

    The relay started off in Shanghai Museum square at 8:10 a.m. in the morning following one-minute silence tribute with Zhuang Yong,a former swimming Olympic champion in the 1992 Barcelona Games, setting off the 13.12 kilometer relay.

    Shen Jianqiang, another top swimmer in the 1990s in China, was also part of the relay.

    Zhu Jianhua, China's best high-jumper ever, was another retired athletics torchbearer in the day. Zhu had broken the world record three times in his career.

    Three earthquake rescuers and one to-be rescuer carried or are to carry the Olympic torch in the city two-day journey. Sun Yuli, a doctor from Shanghai Disease Control Center, was one of the torchbearers in Friday's relay. She is ready for directive to go to Sichuan and Sun's husband Shen Chunlin had been in Mianzhu county of Sichuan Province as a medical volunteer.

    "As a torchbearer, I am ready to stand beside you, going through the difficulty and hardness side by side," said Sun in theclosing ceremony.

    Yu Qian was another torchbearer who left for disaster relief in communication building on May 15 and just came back from the quake region this week. Yu will soon go back to the disastrous region and carry on his reconstruction efforts.

    Bu Zhiyong and Chen Fei are the torchbearers coming back from earthquake relief for Saturday's relay.

    Bu is going to be the second torch carrier on Saturday. He was among the rescuing staff in charge of wireless broadband build-up before returning to Shanghai this morning. Chen Fei, a major general of Shanghai Firefighting Bureau, was just back home from the rescue and recovery squad.

    "We have been finishing the first-stage saving, which are prone to rescue and recovery. Next we will go to the second stage, rooting out ruins and reconstruct the homeland for our countrymen," said Chen, who will soon hurry on to the quake region.

    The parents of Liu Xiang, the 110m hurdles Olympic champion and world record holder, also won the opportunity to pass the Olympic torch.

    Qin Wenbo, the deputy director of Shanghai space flight, lit the cauldron at 2:30 p.m. local time.

    "It's the most important moment of my life. The honor belongs to not only me but thousands of people living in Shanghai," said Qin, who has been successfully directing all the six trials of China's manned space flight.

    "What matters is that the torch relay lights up the confidence and courage of Chinese people in fighting nature disaster. I believe the Beijing Olympic Games will achieve a success and we working together can win the fight through the earthquake difficulty in Sichuan."

    The relay on Saturday will cover a distance of 136.55 kilometers, with 17.15 kilometers to run in hand-to-hand pass, covering Xuhui District, Minhang District, Qingpu District and Jiading District.