Ian Thorpe will be among a number of sports stars who are still carrying the Olympic Flame for China today, now that the flame has finally arrived in Australia.

The Beijing Olympic flame arrived in Canberra this morning to a restricted audience at the Royal Australian Airforce base in Fairbairn, ahead of tomorrow's controversial torch relay.

The plane's arrival does little to temper the firestorm surrounding the event after beefed up security doubled the cost of hosting the relay to almost $2 million and angered selected media who have been locked out of the torch route.

That 16-kilometre route, shortened from 20-kilometres amid riot fears, is marked by a steel barricade. It rings Parliament House, crosses Lake Burley Griffin and extends to the Australian War Memorial.

Security fears were heightened last night when the Chinese ambassador to Australia Zhang Junsai contradicted the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, on the role of China's hand-picked flame attendants.

"Their role is to make sure that the flame will not go out," he told Channel Nine. "If the flame is attacked I believe they will use their body."

Torchbearers, including the swimmer Ian Thorpe and runner Ron Clarke will receive their uniforms later this afternoon. Softballer Jo Brown has replaced Lin Hatfield Dodds, the head of Uniting Care and the Australian Council of Social Services, who withdrew as a torchbearer on Monday over human rights concerns.

Tibetan demonstrators and Chinese supporters assemble in Canberra today. Australians have congratulated Lin Hatfield Dodds on her decision not to run with the torch.

Tags: beijing olympics, ian thorpe