MT. QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Tibet -- The Beijing Olympic flame reached the top of Mt. Qomolangma at 9:18 am Beijing time Thursday.
Chinese climbers hold the Olympic torch, the Olympic flag (L), the Chinese flag (C ) and the Beijing Olympics emblem at the peak of Mt. Qomolangma after the Olympic torch is lit at the peak of the mountain. The climbers carrying the Olympic torch stated to scale the peak at 3:00 am on Thursday morning and reached peak of 8848.43 meters around 9:17 am. [Xinhua] |
The last of the five torchbearers, Cering Wangmo, hoisted the sacred flame at the world's highest summit.
The relay on Mt. Qomolangma started with female climber Gyigyi as the first bearer and Wang Yongfeng as the second.
A dozen of climbers celebrated at the 8,844-meter summit, holding the Chinese national flag, the Beijing Olympic flag and the five-ring Olympic flag.
"Long live Beijing!" shouted one climber.
Beijing organizers postponed the main torch relay, which is re-scheduled to start in the southern city of Shenzhen Thursday noon.
The Qomolangma flame will be reunited with the main flame later in the relay.
Norbu Zhamdul (L) lights the Beijing Olympic torch near the peak of Mt. Qomolangma at around 9:10 am on Thursday. The Chinese climbers carrying the Olympic torch stated to scale the peak at 3:00 am on Thursday morning and reached peak of 8848.43 meters around 9:17 am. [Xinhua] |
