Ask any Olympic torchbearer, and they'll tell you it is the utmost privilege to carry the sacred flame and take part in this important tradition.

Paveena Thongsuk, the first Thai torchbearer, was so delighted at the Bangkok opening ceremony on Saturday that he must have taken more than 100 photos with our reporters and local spectators. A second-generation Chinese from Hainan,

 

Thongsuk - or Xing Yiqun - communicated with reporters partly in Mandarin, expressing his best wishes for the Games in Beijing.

During his run, the former Olympic gold medalist couldn't wipe the smile off his face, so much that even our attendant beside him smiled all along.

In India, 72-year-old sports legend Milkha Singh presented his feelings as a torchbearer right after the run with two thumbs up, and told the media his understanding of the Olympics with waves and gestures.

"No Indians, no Chinese, no Germans we're all the same in the Games," he said.

In Buenos Aires, renowned paddler Cecilia Bacigalupo just couldn't stop laughing as she stepped on the collection vehicle after her run. As she laughed, she patted her own chest with pride.

When she was given a "Lucky Clouds" torch in a box, Bacigalupo grabbed it and held it close for a long, long time.

Even during the most troublesome relay in Paris, wheelchair athlete Jin Jing managed to protect the sacred flame from protesters. She was then picked up by a security vehicle and carried into a tunnel, where she ran.

When she was dropped off, security officers told Jin to be careful. She replied: "Whoever tries that again, I'll kick him with my own leg!"

As Jin held the Olympic torch in her wheelchair, Chen Jie, a volunteer attendant, burst into tears.

"Thankfully I had my sunglasses on. I couldn't have imagined it was me, not her, who was weeping. She has such a strong character, stronger than mine," he said.

And that's precisely what Olympic torchbearers should be - an inspiration to us all.

Although a small number of them have shown otherwise.

In San Francisco, a woman took the flag of the so-called "Tibetan exile government" from protesters and tried to run with it while holding the Olympic torch, before she was stopped by police.

A few others tried to showcase their political affiliation as they ran.

While supporters of the Olympic movement might say these people are confusing the Games with politics, I consider their acts as violations of the contracts they all signed with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games, which made explicit they would wear no badge on their uniforms, or carry visually apparent signs promoting any cause, in their capacity as torchbearers.

Also, acts like these clearly violate the Olympic Charter and the technical manual on the torch relay.

The Olympic flame is a symbol of peace and hope for people around the world, and torchbearers are vital in spreading that message. They should run in the spirit of the Olympic movement and embrace everything it represents - the ideals of sportsmanship, unity and harmony.

This or any Olympic torch relay is about them, about these stunning characters, each unique in promoting the Games' values and ideals to the rest of mankind.

Qu Yingpu, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, is spokesman for the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay