TYUMEN, Russia, November 1 (R-Sport) – The Olympic flame will travel by deer sleigh during a leg of the torch relay deep inside Siberia ahead of the Sochi Winter Games, regional authorities announced Friday.
The flame that will light the Olympic cauldron at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi next February will arrive in the Western Siberian oil city of 80,000 on Tuesday.
It will first be taken on an off-road vehicle to the Ob oil and gas field before traveling to Nefteyugansk and then Khanty-Mansiysk.
Khanty-Mansiysk district government said in a statement that the flame would reach the district on November 6.
“The finish line will lead the flame to one of the most famous sights, the Samarovsky Ostanets archeological park, and then to the final point at the Yugra Arena, where it will be transported on a deer sleigh,” the statement said.
The 5,500-capacity Yugra Arena is home to the local KHL hockey team.
Animals are no strangers to the record-breaking 56,000-kilometer journey. A dogsled was used to carry a torchbearer in Karelia last month.
A dolphin is to take part in the relay three days before the opening ceremony.
The torch relay for the February 7-23 Games started in Moscow 26 days ago and is currently in the northern city of Arkhangelsk.
It is to take in all 83 regions around the world's largest country.
In a parallel side-project, the Olympic flame was delivered to the North Pole for the first time in the movement's history and an unlit torch is to fly to the International Space Station next week.
