Li Ning executes Olympic honour with excellence
08/08/2008
The founder (under his own name) of Chinese athletic apparel brand Li Ning was given the honour of lighting the Olympic flame inside the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing on the opening day of the Games, August 8.
Mr Li, a triple gold medal gymnast for China at the 1984 Games, performed a high-wire gymnastics act, lighting the flame while suspended in the air.
It was a dramatic climax to an opening ceremony that lasted four hours and involved more than 10,000 performers.
Choreographed by film director Zhang Yimou, Li Ning's contribution was to run along the stadium's roof before lighting the Olympic fire. Many observers said afterwards that it was the highlight of the show.
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