Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev?hands over the Olympic flame to Olympic boxing champion Bakhtiyar Artayev in speed skating stadium Medeo in Almaty April 2, 2008. Nazarbayev carried the Olympic flame as the first torchbearer, starting up a 20 kilometers route on Wednesday through Almaty, the first stopover of 2008 Olympic Games flame relay outside mainland of China.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev runs with the Olympic torch in speed skating stadium Medeo in Almaty April 2, 2008.

Nazarbayev receives the torch from Zhang Xiyun, Chinese ambassador to Kazakhstan on the set-off ceremony in Almaty April 2, 2008.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev shows the Olympic torch on the set-off ceremony in Almaty April 2, 2008.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev runs with the Olympic torch in speed skating stadium Medeo in Almaty April 2, 2008.

(Xinhua News Agency April 3, 2008)