The victories of independent candidates in the mayoral contests in Hartlepool and Middlesborough also caughttheeyesofthe headline writers, not least because the winner in Hartlepool campaigned as his town's football mascot, a monkey.
Mr. Li, winner of three gold medals for China in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, caught viewers' eyes world-wide when he carried the torch and "flew" around the Beijing stadium at the opening ofthe 2008 games.