The Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay in Magnitogorsk

On the third day in Chelyabinsk Region, the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay visited Magnitogorsk, the city of metallurgical workers situated on the banks of the Ural River. 104 torchbearers carried the Olympic flame through the main streets of the city covering a distance of 26.5 km. Among the Olympic torchbearers were nominees of the Sochi 2014 Torch Relay Presenting Partners: Coca-Cola, OSOA "Ingosstrakh" and OAO "Russian Railways".

The lantern with the Olympic flame was brought to Magnitogorsk on Sochi 2014 Relay train number 701. The first torchbearer, honored master of sport in rowing and Olympic champion Igor Kravtsov, started the Relay.

The most striking and significant stage of the Olympic Torch Relay for the city passed through the territory of Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Combine, Russia's largest ferrous metal enterprise, and one of the main symbols of modern industrialization. The plant, which annually produces about 13 million tonnes of steel and 11.9 million tonnes of commercial products, occupies a leading position in the global market.

Famous athletes, honored residents of the city and experienced workers of metallurgical production carried the Olympic flame over a wide area of the plant. Giant cast-iron boilers, kilometers of geometric pipelines weave, large-sized workshops became a spectacular backdrop for the Olympic torchbearers and illustrated the industrial strength of the Urals and the entire country.

Passing Olympic flame to each other torchbearers got to Stan 5000 rolling workshop where a place of production of wide steel sheets up to 5 meters in width is located. Sergei Dubovsky and Igor Bobrov passed along the shop across the narrow bridge with a Torch in their hands, while at the bottom production was actively being continued and wide steel sheets were being created out of hot iron.

Among the torchbearers of the day were Sergei Golomyako and Evgeniy Koreshkov, famous hockey players. On the Central stadium biathletes Ivan Kalyanov and Pavel Borisov skied with Olympic flame in their hands.

Oksana Borzilo rode a snow-white horse along the street, and then handed the Torch over to Viktor Korzhov, master of sports in motocross — he rode a quadrocycle with the Torch. Then the Torch Relay passed a bridge across the Ural river, which divides not just the city of Magnitogorsk, but also two continents. The Olympic flame on a tram designed in the official style of the Sochi 2014 Torch Relay with the elements of the bright orange patchwork quilt crossed the symbolic border between the two continents and returned from Asia to Europe again.

The culmination of the sports festival was a grand celebration at the Arena Metallurg Ice Palace. Thousands of people enthusiastically watched how Viktor Rashnikov, president of Metallurg hockey club, took the Olympic flame to light the Olympic Cauldron, a symbol that Magnitogorsk became part of the global Olympic movement for a day.

The next destination of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay will be Ufa.

For more information contact:Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay Communications Service

sochi2014.com | OGON@sochi2014.com | +7 495 984 2014

The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee has presented an entertaining Cultural Program for the guests and participants of the Olympic Games. Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy over 500 hours of performances from Russia’s notable music and dance groups, including Chukchi throat singing, fiery Dagestan lezginka, melodic Kuban Cossack tunes and virtuoso alto improvisations of maestro Yuri Bashmet. Cultural events featuring more than 5,000 artists from 70 regions of Russia will take place at numerous venues across Sochi.