Torch relay finishes Canberra leg

The Canberra leg of the torch relay for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has ended without incident. 80 torch bearers carried the flame through the capital along a 16-kilometer route past the city's many landmarks.

Top Australian athletes, including five-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ian Thorpe, and representatives from all walks of life participated. Tens of thousands of Chinese nationals cheered on the relay along the route.

The 15th leg of the global torch relay began early on Thursday morning at Reconciliation Place on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, near the city's center.

Enthusiasm for the torch relay was tangible in the Australian capital. Even before the relay began, tens of thousands of spectators had already gathered at the starting point. Local indigenous artists celebrated with Aboriginal music and dancing. Australia's former foreign minister Alexander Dower took the opportunity to encourage the country's young athletes.