Shao on Wednesday night also announced the 19-member squad who will take on the final assault, one short-listed from the 36-strong team announced one day earlier.

According to Zhang Zhijian, spokesman of the Chinese Mountaineering Team, the last-minute torch bearers need to be physically and mentally strong.

Shao said the 19 climbers will fall into starters and backup group, with 12 and 7 in each.

The starters, headed by Nima Ciren, principal of the Lhasa Mountaineering Guide School, include 8 ethnic Tibetans, 3 Han Chinese and one from ethnic Tu.

The Beijing Olympics torch relay is the longest and most ambitious ever planned, traveling 137,000 kilometers across five continents in 130 days. The torch has returned to the Chinese mainland at the beginning of May and is scheduled to tour Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province on May 8.

But as the side relay progress on Qomolangma, the main relay will take a day off.

The Olympic flame was lit in Greece on March 24 and before kicking off its global tour the flame has been split, with part o fit brought to Mt. Qomolangma for the high-profile summit ceremony.

【体坛英语资讯：Olympic torch climbers to start last spurt to peak of Qomolangma on Thursday】相关文章：

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Monroe,Jolie: most seductive women of all time

★ 体坛英语资讯：China confident of derailing talented Brazil

★ 体坛英语资讯：French drive plus local nous to revive women

★ 体坛英语资讯：Messi and Umtiti close to fitness for vital forthcoming games

★ 体坛英语资讯：China suffers 4-0 loss to Brazil

★ 体坛英语资讯：WR holder Du expects improvement in three positions

★ 体坛英语资讯：Gonzalez stuns Federer in round-robin in Shanghai

★ 体坛英语资讯：Rooneys return perfectly timed for United

★ 体坛英语资讯：Sun hopes to shine again in doubles

★ 体坛资讯：Chinese to dominate Thailand Open finals