ISTANBUL -- The Beijing Olympic torch relay in Istanbul concluded here on Thursday as the last of the 80 torchbearers arrived at the destination of Taksim Square in Istanbul's downtown and lit the cauldron.
The last torchbearer Taner Sagir, a rare weighlifting talent who seized the gold medal of the 77-kg category in the Athen Olympics and became the youngest Olympic champion in the weightlifting history, ran onto the square in the New City in Istanbul's European part amid loud clapping and cheers.
The Istanbul torch relay kicked off at 14:35 local time (GMT 1135) when Turkish Olympic Committee President Togay Bayatli gave the first runner a torch, which was lit by the Olympic flame in a specially-designed lantern carried by Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games (BOCOG) executive vice president, Jiang Xiaoyu.
In cool and cloudy weather, the torch lighting ceremony was held at Hagia Sophia Square, which stands across from the landmark Sultan Ahmed Mosque (better known as the Blue Mosque) in the Old City in Istanbul's European part.
Bayatli then handed over the torch to the first torch bearer Tugba Karademir, a promising Turkish figure skater aged 23, who started her about 200-meter stretch of the 17.8-km route.
Apart from Karademir and Sagir, another 78 torchbearers including 86-year-old Kemale Ozcelik also participated in the relay.
The sacred Olympic flame was flown into Istanbul in the early hours of the day from Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty, the first leg of the global relay. Following Istanbul, the Olympic flame will go to Russia's St. Petersburg.
It is the second time for Istanbul to host the Olympic torch relay since 2000. In 2004, it held a torch relay for the Athens Olympics.
