CANBERRA - Five-time Olympic gold medalist Ian Thorpe and runner Ron Clarke, who lit the Olympic cauldron in Melbourne 52 years ago, head the list of Australians participating in the Beijing Games torch relay.

"It is a great honor to be a small part of the torch relay," Thorpe said from Beijing, "in what will truly be an amazing event."

A total of 80 people, including past and present Olympians, will take part in the only Australian leg of the relay on April 24 in Canberra.

Thorpe won a record nine Olympic medals before his retirement in November 2006.

Other former Olympians taking part include Clarke, who carried the flame around the Melbourne Cricket Ground before lighting the cauldron at the 1956 Olympics, and marathon runner Robert De Castella, who competed at four Olympics.

Current Australian Olympians will be represented by swimmers Jodie Henry and Alice Mills and archery bronze medalist Tim Cuddihy.

Canberra will be the only Australian destination for the flame in what has become the world's longest Olympic torch relay.

Olympic organizers say 22,000 torchbearers will carry the flame on its journey from Greece to Beijing for the opening ceremony on August 8.