KIROV, January 05, 7:40 /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian Ural city of Kirov will take over the Olympic Flame relay on Sunday. An ancient city of Vyatka, the former name of Kirov, will welcome the symbol of the world Olympic movement hospitably, joyfully and in the original way.
Riders on conserved Vyatka race horses will shoot along the city streets with the Olympic torch and will pass it to the speed skaters and the masters of ice climbing, a new kind of sports that is already practiced broadly in the city of Kirov.
“This will be a highlight of our stage of the Olympic Flame relay,” head of the department for youth affairs, physical culture and sports of the Kirov city authorities Nadezhda Anisimova noted.
In her words, the Kirov stage of the Olympic torch relay will stretch at 30.5 kilometres. The distance of each Olympic torchbearer will make an average of 200 metres. Well-known athletes, the medallists of the Olympics in different years and ordinary city residents are among 150 Kirov residents, who will carry the Olympic torch.
Kirov schoolgirl Anastasia Durdina said that the Internet helped her to be put on the list of the Olympic torchbearers. “I was looking through the websites, which dwell on the Sochi Olympics, then I entered a website and registered there,” she said about her luck. The schoolgirl said that upon receiving an invitation to carry the Olympic torch in the native city she got excited, but was a little bit afraid of it, as it is high responsibility for her. Just for the case she decided not to tell her classmates and teachers about it and informed only her closest friends, but thanks to the Internet, the whole city learnt that she will be an Olympic torchbearer.
The young girl noted that she goes in for figure skating and swimming and goes to walk in the forest with her mother and grandmother in winter every weekend. Nastya’s whole family “will support our team” at the Sochi Olympics, the young Olympic torchbearer has made a posting in her blog.
The city authorities noted that Kirov is a sportive city, as most of its residents lead the health lifestyle. So, on the Day of Healthy Heart tens of city residents went out for a walk in the parks and on the tracks at the stadium in a nasty autumn day. In the previous year a palace of water sports was inaugurated in the city, an international ice climbing competition was held in the city. More than 500 young city residents will do Olympic exercises on the main Kirov square Teatralnaya to mark the Olympic Flame relay in the city on Sunday. All main festive events devoted to the Olympic Flame relay, including fashion shows, theatrical performances, performances of dance and music companies will be staged on the square. The Olympic Flame will be lighted up in the Kirov Olympic cauldron on Sunday evening.