Olympic Torch Bearers to Be Unveiled by February

The list of the torch bearers who will carry the 2008 Olympics Flame will be announced in the coming weeks, Beijing organizers said on Thursday.

Speaking at a national mobilization meeting on the torch relay, Jiang Xiaoyu, executive vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG), said that the whole list of candidates for the torch bearers had been submitted by various organizations to BOCOG and it was expected to be unveiled by February.

Hundreds of thousands of people chased the 19,400 torchbearer berths available for the relay on the Chinese mainland, all keen to join in a historical relay that will see the flame travel an unprecedented 137,000 kilometers around the world, culminating in an awe-inspiring ascent over Mt. Qomolangma. Another 2,480 torchbearers will take part in the relay in overseas cities and Hong Kong, and Macao.

The Olympic Torch Relay, called "Journey of Harmony", has as its slogan "Light the Passion Share the Dream". It starts on March 24 and ends on Aug. 8 when the Games open.