Beijing - Vancouver will centre its torch relay on Canada when it hosts the 2010 Winter Olympics, organizing committee head John Furlong said Friday after a meeting with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive in Beijing. "Our plan has always been to have a relay that was largely centred on Canada," said the Vanoc CEO.
Furlong said it was conceivable that the torch might make a stop on its way from Olympia in Greece to Canada and that Vancouver organizers had "never contemplated" having an international relay.
Furlong's comments come after pro-Tibetan groups and demonstrators opposed to China's human right record hounded the Beijing-bound flame for the last week across Europe and during its sole North American leg Wednesday in San Francisco.
There has never been an international relay for a Winter Olympics but the torch relay through Canada already involves 1,000 cities, 35,000 kilometres and 200 celebrations over 100 days. About 12,000 runners will carry the flame.
