"Liu Xiang is here today? Fabulous!" 57-year-old Hu Shengying shrieked like an excited teen.

The Beijing resident was one of many in the capital who got wind of the news that the country's Olympic champion hurdler was receiving the flame of the Games Monday morning, at the welcome ceremony for the torch relay against the backdrop of Tian'anmen Square.

Chinese President Hu Jintao hands the Olympic torch to Olympic hurdler and gold medallist Liu Xiang (L) during the "Welcome Ceremony for the Olympic Flame and the Launching Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay" at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, March 31, 2008. Hu officially announced the beginning of the Beijing Olympic torch relay on Monday. [Agencies]  More Photos

Clad in a white T-shirt with a red phoenix design emblazoned on his right shoulder, the 24-year-old national sports hero and Athens Games gold medalist stepped onto a platform at about 11:45 am to receive the Olympic torch from President Hu Jintao.

Liu became the first torch relay runner after Hu lit a cauldron and officially announced the start of the round-the-world relay.

Amid the beat of drums that accompanied the pride seen on many spectators' faces, the country's most famous young athlete led three other runners to jog out of the world's largest square, over a 300-year-old bridge of jade and the arch of Tian'anmen, before entering the main gate of the Forbidden City.

For fans of Liu, currently also the world champion and record holder of the 110m hurdles, their feelings yesterday were mixed - with their hero in the limelight, does it erase his chances of being chosen as the final torchbearer to light the cauldron at the Bird's Nest during the opening ceremony on Aug 8?

Liu, along with National Basketball Association star Yao Ming, are the nation's favorites to fill the plum role of being the last torchbearer.

Liu was previously chosen as the first torchbearer when the flame returns to the Chinese mainland via Macao on May 4, but he declined the honor because of a tight schedule.

Local media recently reported that Yao was likely to take the place of the hurdler to receive the Olympic torch in the city of Sanya, Hainan province, to launch the domestic return leg of the torch relay. If so, Liu is then left as the most possible candidate to light the flame at the opening of the Games.

However, Beijing media quoted Liu's coach last week as saying that his student was still so busy with his training that there was no room for him to practice lighting up the cauldron.

"No matter which leg I run and what role I play," Liu said, "I am happy with the chance."