The Olympic torch will take a dive in Shantou on Saturday, on the final day of its journey through Guangdong province.

Six world diving champions - Sun Shuwei, Cai Yuyan, Li Qiaoxian, Lin Yuanxia, Xiao Yanjuan and Chi Meilan - will share the work of carrying the torch on the penultimate leg of the relay to the national-level training center for diving, where each of them mastered their art.

Once there, the divers will carry the torch up to a 10-m diving board, but will refrain from their usual practice of jumping into the water below.

Also taking part in Saturday's relay will be Chen Hanshi, who returned to Shantou in the 1980s after working for many years in Thailand. The 73-year-old businessman is the oldest of the 832 torchbearers in Guangdong province.

The Shantou relay will cover 41.6 km and involve 208 torchbearers. World champion weightlifter Cai Yanshu will get the ball rolling, while Cai Zongze, the mayor of the city, will run the final leg and light the ceremonial cauldron.

After leaving Shantou, the torch will head to Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province.

Perfect harmony

Fire and water don't normally mix, but on Friday in Huizhou, Guangdong province, the pair went together beautifully, as the Olympic flame made its way through the streets of a city famed for its waterways.

Built beside the Dongjiang River - the major water source for Hong Kong and Shenzhen - the city is also home to the Huizhou West Lake, which despite its name, is a group of five lakes.

Not surprisingly, the torch relay took in many of the city's watery attractions, with the first leg from Huizhou Stadium being run by Chen Xiujun, a Huizhou native and the country's 200-m backstroke swimming champion.

The final leg was run by chess grandmaster Lu Qin.

Tens of thousands of people lined the streets to cheer on the torchbearers, who also included China's No 2 snooker player, Liang Wenbo.

Several local heroes also carried the Olympic flame, including Zhang Xiuyun, who was named a model worker for her 13 years as a city cleaner, and Liu Zhijun, a policeman who was awarded the International Peace Medal following his eight-month peacekeeping tour of Haiti in 2005.

"My experience as a peacekeeper made me realize just how precious peace is, and how lucky we are to be able to enjoy it," Liu said.

"I feel really proud and excited as a torchbearer, so I can spread the message in my hometown."

(China Daily 05/10/2008 page3)