The Olympic torch relay kicked off in Dalian, northeast China, at 8:05 am local time on Saturday.

Wang Junxia, who won a gold medal in women's 5,000m in the Atlanta Olympics, carried the torch as the first runner.

Wang Junxia displays the Olympic torch at the launching ceremony of the Dalian leg of relay on Saturday.

A total of 208 torchbearers will participate in the relay covering 9.41 kilometers.

(Xinhua News Agency July 19, 2008)