China's first and only Olympian at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games, 100 and 200-m runner Liu Changchun, was eliminated in the preliminary heats.

He might not have thought that participation in the Olympics runs in the family - but on Monday, his son Liu Hongliang ran a 200-m leg of the torch relay in ancient Olympia.

Liu junior also fulfilled his father's dream - after the 1932 Games, he recalled, his father always wanted to visit the birthplace of the Olympics.

"Now I'm very excited."

Liu Hongliang was selected by Coca Cola, a major sponsor of the Beijing Olympic torch relay, as one of nine Chinese torchbearers on the Greece leg after the flame was lit at the ancient site of Olympia.

"The flame carries the dreams of generations of Chinese people," said Liu, 76. "If my father were alive, he would have been thrilled."

Citing the slogan of the torch relay - Light the Passion, Share the Dream - Liu said: "I share the dream with my father."

Liu said his father, who died in 1983, rarely mentioned his Olympic experience, but instilled in him the Olympic spirit, which changed his life. "My father didn't force me to be a professional athlete, but encouraged me to stay fit," he said.

The retired environment engineering expert is good at table tennis and taiji, or shadow boxing. He is also an avid sports fan.

As an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Liu, who specialized in water resources research, has made major contributions to environmental protection.

He put forward suggestions on water saving and utilization; and his advice on providing drinkable tap water for the athletes has been accepted by the Games organizers.

Beijing's "Green Olympics" concept also struck a chord.

"Working as an environment protectionist has brought me closer to the Olympics," he said. "I will continue to work so that more people enjoy blue skies and clean water."

(China Daily March 26, 2008)