Lee Lai-shan, Hong Kong's first gold medal Olympian, took over the Olympic torch from Chief Executive Donald Tsang at 10:28 a.m. on Friday to start the Hong Kong leg of torch relay back in China after a trip spanning the five continents.
"It is one of my big moments and I am feeling the same excitement as I did when I won the Olympic gold medal (for windsurfing in 1996)," the retired athlete with a brisk hair cut said upon officially becoming the lead torch bearer for the Hong Kong leg.
Lee, 37 and a mother of two, was affectionately known to people in Hong Kong as Shan-shan the Queen of Windsurfing. She is also one of the most popular torchbearers, too.
Recently, Lee devoted herself to promoting the Olympic equestrian events, which will be held in Hong Kong in August. She also took part in the shooting of a television advertisement on tourism.
Lee, born and growing up on Cheung Chau, one of the scattered small offshore islands in Hong Kong, said she was still in love with windsurfing although it has been years after she retired from professional sports and concentrated on her family.
Lee said she was yet to make a decision on whether to come back in sports. She also said she planned to visit a New Zealand friend who has been competing in windsurfing after giving birth to a child. "I shall learn from her experience," Lee said.
She said she will keep the mark 001 of the torch relay as a souvenir and pass it on to her children, grand children and future generations thereafter.
"It will be our family treasure," said Lee.
Source: Xinhua
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