Special report: 2008 Olympic Games  

    MACAO, May 3 (Xinhua) -- After all the excitement subsided, sense of responsibility quickly took over Leong Hong Man, the first torchbearer of Macao leg of Beijing Olympic torch relay.

    "As a torchbearer and an athlete, I will spread the Olympic spirit with the torch I run and the heart I have," Leong, a local martial art athlete who was chosen as the first torchbearer for the Macao leg of torch relay, told Xinhua during an interview on Saturday.

    "It was a great honor for me to run the first leg in such a tiny place like Macao," Leong said, adding, "the excitement was like I had won a gold medal in the Games."

    Leong expressed regret that no Macao athlete will compete in the Beijing Olympic Games.

    "I have placed my dream of participating in the Olympics on next generation," said Leung, 29.

    "I will work even harder to train younger athletes to compete in next Olympic Games," he said.