Beijing Olympics: Secret of flame lighting worth the wait

China's most closely-guarded secret was how the Olympic flame would be lit but the end result was worth the wait. By Graham Tibbetts and Gordon Rayner Former champion gymnast Li Ning, took hold of the final torch in the 80,000 mile relay, was hoisted high above the crowd on a wire and 'ran' a lap around the rim of the stadium . Lighting a giant fuse, he ignited the colossal torch, which had been hidden from view and lowered into place just moments before, as the four hour ceremony reached its climax. He was chosen for the honour ahead of other candidates such as Liu Xiang, current Olympic 110m hurdles champion, and He Zhenliang, China's foremost Olympic dignitary. Li became China's favourite Olympian after captivating his countrymen in winning three gymnastics gold medals at the Los Angeles games in 1984. Having earned the... [read full story]