Olympic Torch conquers Mt Everest

{image-olympic torch_08052008.jpg news.oneindia.in}New Delhi, May 8: The Beijing Olympic flame reached the top of Mt. Everest or Mt. Qomolangma as it is known in the Tibetan language at 9:18 a.m. Beijing time Thursday.

A report released by the official Xinhua news agency said that the Chinese climbers held the Olympic torch, the Olympic flag, the Chinese flag and the Beijing Olympics emblem at the peak. It said that the climbers started scaling the peak at 3:00 a.m. on Thursday morning and reached peak of 8848.43 meters around 9:17 a.m. The last of the five torchbearers, Cering Wangmo, hoisted the sacred flame at the world's highest summit. The relay started with female climber Gyigyi as the first bearer and Wang Yongfeng as the second.

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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 Everest flame will be reunited with the main flame later in the relay.

The main flame will cross every region and province of China before returning to Beijing on August 6, two days ahead of the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

The 19-member final assault team was comprised of ethnic Han Chinese, Tibetan members and university students. The captain of the assault team was a Tibetan, Nyima Cering, while his deputy was a Chinese going by the name of Luo Shen.

ANI