JPMorgan employee participates in Beijing Olympic torch relay

Andy Li, a coverage banker based in Beijing, joins other celebrity torchbearers in the 40-km, 11-hour relay.
 

A JPMorgan client coverage banker in Beijing was one of the torchbearers participating in the China leg of the relay for the International Olympic games, carrying the torch in Shantoua a southern Chinese city with a population of 5 million.

“I can’t help to think that the Olympic flame I carried will be used to light the flame in the National Stadium in Beijing,” said Andy Li, a coverage banker based in Beijing. “I was proud to carry the torch and represent JPMorgan Chase. As one of the thousands of torchbearers throughout the world, I believe the experience will live with me forever,” said Li, who was nominated by Lenovo, a sponsor of the Beijing Olympic torch relay.

Andy submitted his application in January, making him one of more than 10 million hopefuls. When named, he was chosen as a representative of JPMorgan Chase as well as the banking industry due to his career achievements and community contributions. He is the only JPMorgan employee to participate in the relay.

He joined other celebrity torchbearers including Sun Shuwei, the 1992 Olympic champion in diving; Chen Kunxiong, a paralyzed athlete with over 20 gold medals in his career; and Xu Yinchuan, an international master of Chinese chess, in this the 40-km, 11-hour relay.
China Torch
Andy Li at the torch relay

Despite the downpour in the city on the day of the event, crowds lined the route waving national and Olympic flags to cheer for the long-awaited Olympic flame.

“I chose Shantou because it is my favorite city. I lived here for years and I have many friends there. It was so great to represent this great city while being cheered on by my friends,” said Andy.

The Olympic flame, which embodies the games’ spirit of friendship and harmony, was ignited in ancient Olympia on March 24 before embarking on a global odyssey. The Beijing Olympic 2008 torch relay is the longest in Olympic history, passing 134 cities in 130 days with 21,880 torchbearers covering 137,000 km.