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Nationwide Torch Relay of Universiade Finishes
The organizing committee of the 21st World University Games arranged Tuesday a final hand-over ceremony of nationwide torch relay of the games at China Centenary Altar in downtown Beijing.
At the ceremony, Beijing Mayor Liu Qi said that the nationwide torch relay further popularized the universiade and the spirit of Olympics.
Meanwhile, the management of the massive activities of torch relay showed China's ability to organizing international multi- sports events, such as the biennial universiade and even the Olympics in seven years, said Liu, also chairman of the organizing committee of the 21st universiade.
After the ceremony, about 160 athletes and university students from China and 100 other countries and regions took part in the Beijing international torch relay, which covers the main part of Beijing's well-known Chang'an Street.
Torch relay runners included world chess champion Xie Jun and world table tennis champion Wang Liqin. The flame, which was a combination of flare collected at the Massey University of New Zealand and Beijing University of China at the first sunshine of the new millennium, and the flame of the first universiade from Turin of Italy, will be used for lighting up the universiade flame in the major venue of Beijing Workers' Stadium.
Since May 4, 2001, the torch has spent 109 days in traveling 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, as well as Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.
Nearly 300,000 students at roughly 200 universities participated in the symbolic relay winding through 20,000 kilometers.
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