Tests give torch relay go-ahead for peak challenge

A series of tests have confirmed that the Olympic relay torch will be able to stay lit in freezing temperatures and strong winds when it is brought up the world's highest peak, Mount Qomolangma, an official said in Beijing on Tuesday.

"We have organized three rounds of successful tests to ensure that the torch can ascend the peak without sputtering out," Ma Lin, director of the Beijing municipal science and technology commission, said on a radio program on Tuesday.

Wind speeds atop the mountain are expected to be about 17 m per second and temperatures can often dip below -30 C, Ma said.