Vladivostok picked up the baton by having Sochi-2014 Olympic Flame for two days. The Winter Olympics symbol was carried over the world largest cable stayed bridge over the Bosphorus Strait in the capital of Primorie.
The first leg of the relay was held in Vladivostok, on Russky Island and finished with a grand celebration on the Far East Federal University campus. The next day, they started early in the morning on the world largest cable stayed bridge over the Bosphorus Strait. There is another symbol: the SK MOST Group of Companies, the general contractor that has built the Russky Bridge in Vladivostok, is also bringing to completion construction of the Adler – Alpika-Service combined route, which is the main transportation artery of the Sochi Games. The Olympic Flame continued its travel at an altitude of 70 meters above sea level, moving over the world record breaking 1104-meter-long span, and the torch relay then continued on the mainland of the capital of Primorie.
The Olympic Flame covered a marathon distance of 42 kilometers in Vladivostok. A total of 190 people became the Olympic Torch bearers including award-winning athletes, business leaders, entertainers, and volunteers.
“Such events are remembered for a lifetime! To be part of the Olympic movement and history – that’s impressive!”
– said Vladimir Miklushevsky, Governor of the Primorie Region.
Vladimir Yakunin, President of JSC Russian Railways also ran along the streets of Vladivostok bearing the Olympic Torch. He also shared his impressions of the race:
“I was eager to make my numerous grandchildren happy! I chose Vladivostok to participate in the torch relay here because this is the place where the Olympic Flame starts its travel by rail.”
The railway terminal was the final point of the torch relay in the capital of Primorie. Ivan Shtyl, a bronze medal winner at 2012 London Olympic Games, a six-time world champion and five-time European champion and Governor Vladimir Miklushevsky lit the Olympic Flame in the city Olympic flame bowl set at the Railway Terminal Square. Vladimir Yakunin, the head of JSC Russian Railways gave a signal to start railway torch relay. The Olympic flame left Vladivostok on-board a special train, which will travel for 83 days across Russia to cover a distance of 17,700 kilometers.
A fact: the Olympic torch relay organized before the Sochi Games will cover the largest distance in the history of the games. Having started in Moscow on October 7, it will be held in 83 regions of the country, visiting 2,900 cities and towns. A record number of torch bearers, 14 thousand people, will take part, covering the route that is more than 65 thousand kilometers long. For the first time in history, the Olympic Flame has reached the North Pole, was launched into space, and will travel deep to the bottom of Lake Baikal. The torch relay will end on February 7, 2014 in Sochi, on the opening day of the Winter Games.
