Sochi Olympics torch relay to be longest one

Moscow: Organisers of the Sochi Olympics said the torch relay of the 2014 Winter Games will be the longest and vowed to bring the audience a splendid opening ceremony.

With the conclusion of the London Summer Olympic Games Sunday, the world turned its head to the 2014 Winter Olympic host city of Sochi, a renowned Russian Black Sea resort. Speaking on the closing day of the Summer Olympics, Dmitry Chernyshenko, president of the Sochi Olympics steering committee, said the Winter Games will have "the longest national Olympic torch relay," involving "14,000 torch carriers who will go over 56,000 km through all 83 Russian regions." The torch relay will kick off Oct 7, 2013, when the Olympic Flame arrives in Russia from Athens. The torch for the Winter Games must withstand strong wind and low temperatures and thus differed a lot from that of the Summer Games, Chernyshenko added. The official was also confident Sochi will impress the world with a spectacular opening ceremony comparable to that of the London Games. Russia was good at massive cultural entertainment events, with an innovative team mulling over the concept of the Sochi opening ceremony, he said and added that the main stadium will be prepared for "many creative fantasies". "We don`t conceal any secrets. Let`s wait and see," Chernyshenko said. IANS