The way to China runs through Hawaii

Aloha!

A week of vacation in Maui has me revitalized for the Olympics. Leaving for Beijing on Tuesday.

Glad to hear that Tyson Gay (Lexington, Lafayette H.S.) says his rehab is going well.

Also saw were Stubby Clapp (Lexington Legends) walked, stole second and then scoring the winning run in Canada’s win over the U.S. baseball team over the weekend.

Will be catching up on more Kentuckians as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, here’s what organizers in Beijing had to say Monday about the torch relay:

(BEIJING, August 5) — Details on the final stretch of the Olympic torch relay were revealed during a press conference this morning. The Beijing relay, which will last for 3 days from August 6-8, will take the flame through all 18 Beijing districts and along all 19 roads in the newly expanded Beijing Economic and Technological District. The entire relay will cover 40km of ground, and the torch will pass through the hands of 841 torch bearers, taking close to 9 hours to complete.

On Wednesday, the Beijing relay will begin at the Forbidden City. Over 4 hours, 16km, and 433 torch bearers later, the torch will make its final stop of the day at another historical Beijing landmark, the Temple of Heaven.

The following day, the torch will travel another 14km, starting outside Beijing at the famous Badaling section of the Great Wall and ending back within city limits, in Ditan Park.

On the morning of the Opening Ceremony, the torch will appear in front of the Peking Man Museum and pass through the hands of 140 torch bearers over the 8km route to Beijing’s 101 District Middle School, where the torch will then be transported to the National Stadium for the Opening Ceremony later that night.

Of the 841 torchbearers represented in the 3 day torch relay, 232 are members of the Beijing Olympic Committee, 90 are members of the National Olympic Committee, 60 are members of the International Olympic Committee, and 170 are associated with sponsor companies. The remaining 289 torchbearers were handpicked by the Beijing city government.

Among those chosen are NBA basketball superstar Yao Ming, Turin Olympics 500m. speed skating gold medalist, Wang Meng, and China’s first gold medalist Xu Haifeng. Some of China’s most famous actors and performers will also join the torch-bearing ranks. Comedian Feng Gong, actress Song Dandan, and opera singer Dai Yuqiang, are some of the better known stars that will participate in the Beijing relay. Other Chinese note-worthies include China’s first astronaut Yang Liwei, designer of the Beijing mascots Han Meiling, and TV personality David. Teachers, students, factory workers, police officers, artists, and handicapped bearers will join their more famous counterparts in the Olympic torch relay.

In addition to hundreds of local participants, there are 64 foreigners and 3 Hong Kong residents participating in the final Beijing relay. The oldest torchbearer is 85, and the youngest, only 14.