Luo himself is among the pioneers of China's winter sports development and has had a huge impact on generations of winter sports athletes.

In 1963, Luo won the men's 1,500-meter event at the World Speed Skating Championship in Nagano, Japan, marking China's first world championship gold medal in winter sports.

The relay on Monday, which featured an 11-kilometer journey across the city, set off from the famous Chinese-Baroque historical and cultural block in the city's Daowai district.

Xu Qin, Party secretary of- Heilongjiang, lit the torch from a cauldron at a launch ceremony and announced the start of the relay.