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The Olympic torch moves to the Black Earth Belt in Central Russia

The Olympic symbol is arriving in Tambov on Sunday

© ITAR-TASS/Evgeny Karmayev

TAMBOV, January 12 /ITAR-TASS/. The Olympic torch relay race is moving to the Black Earth Belt in Central Russia. The Olympic symbol is arriving in Tambov on Sunday, a source at the regional Committee for Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism told Itar-Tass.

The torch is expected to arrive at the Tambov railway station at 12:00 Moscow time to the sounds of music played by the Gubernatorial Wind Orchestra. Oksana Yevteyeva, a master of sports in athletics, the Olympic finalist in Sydney, a medal winner at the world championships and Russia’s record holder in triple jumps, will have the honor to bear the torch for the first few meters of the Tambov lap.

After that, the torch will travel through the streets of Tambov and will finish its race outside the Kristall (Crystal) Ice Palace, where the main ceremony of meeting the Olympic flame will take part.

About 190 torch bearers will cover a total area of 23 kilometers.

Craftswomen from the town of Rasskazovo have knitted a gigantic champion hat in the colors of the Russian national flag. The hat will be put on a six-meter high metallic carcass. The project has been sent to the office of the Russian Book of Records for registration.

The Sochi-2014 Olympic torch relay race has been the longest in the history of Winter Olympic Games both in terms time and distance. It started on October 7, 2013 and will finish on the Games opening day on February 7, 2014. A total of 130 million people in 2,900 Russian cities will have a chance to see the torch, which will visit the capitals of all regions and territories of Russia.

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