A last minute change to the torch route has reduced the San Francisco leg of the Olympic torch relay to a game of hide and seek before the torch flew out without the usual formal closing ceremony.

Route Cut In Half
Less than an hour before the scheduled start the planned 10km route was cut in half.

At the opening ceremony, the first torchbearer took the flame and held it aloft before running into a warehouse. A motorcycle escort soon departed, but the torchbearer was nowhere to be seen.

The torch reappeared an hour later more than 3km away from the planned route, surrounded by a squad of SWAT police. The torch was then carried toward the Golden Gate Bridge, in the opposite direction of the crowds awaiting its passing.

The last minute changes to the route were reportedly made amid security concerns following chaotic scenes during the torch legs in Paris and London.

Official Torchbearer Ejected For Supporting Tibet
Majora Carter, an official torchbearer, was pulled from the torch relay after showing her support for Tibet. After being passed the torch, Ms Carter pulled out a small Tibetan flag that she had reportedly hidden in her shirt sleeve.

“The Chinese security and cops were on me like white on rice, it was no joke,” said Ms Carter, 41, who runs a non-profit organisation in New York. “[Chinese security] pulled me out of the race, and then San Francisco police officers pushed me back into the crowd on the side of the street.”