Sochi Airport

The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee along with the Presenting Partners for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay - the Coca-Cola Company, Ingosstrakh Insurance Company and JSC Russian Railways Company have unveiled one of the main features of the Relay for the 2014 Games: the torch that will carry the Olympic flame.

The torch for Sochi 2014 was developed by a team of famous Russian designers and engineers. At the presentation ceremony in Moscow, the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee also unveiled the official uniform for the Olympic torchbearers who will take part in the Sochi 2014 Relays. The uniform was designed by BOSCO company, the General Partner of the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Olympic torch was presented by the Sochi 2014 Ambassadors Tatiana Navka, and Ilya Averbukh.

The torch is one of the key symbols of the Games and often captures the imagination of the world. With its bright, eye-catching design, the Sochi 2014 torch is intended to reflect Russian hospitality, and the joyful and inspirational atmosphere which is an integral part of the Olympic Torch Relays.

The Olympic torch is red, the traditional color of Russian sport.

The concept behind the torch for the 2014 Games is based on the contrasts of Russia. It combines motifs fr om Russian folklore with ideas of innovation and technological breakthroughs. Its form reminds of the feather of the magic bird, which is said to bring good fortune and happiness. Its pattern is something that all Russians have been familiar with since childhood, when they first hear the fairy-tales and legends about the Firebird, or the Phoenix which rose fr om the ashes.

The torch design was developed by a Russian creative team, led by Vladimir Pirozhkov and Andrei Vodyanik.

The designers paid particular attention to the torch's construction and its flame-lighting system. The construction of the torch ensures that the flame burns reliably in difficult conditions, such as strong winds, heavy frosts or any surprises that a Russian winter can throw up.

The body of the torch is made of aluminum. The color is light-silver "chrome", and the finish - low-dispersion matte. The upper part contains the emblem of the Games and is created using an encrustation method. The torch's handle and central decorative stand are cast using a high-density, highly transparent polymer. The details on the inside of the torch are covered in ultra-glossy dyes with a transparent surface featuring deep red color.

The torch weighs nearly 1.8 kg, is 0.95 m tall, 0.145 m wide (at its widest part), and 0.54 m deep. Its weight and center of gravity were carefully calculated so as to make the torch as comfortable as possible to carry whilst running.

The torch and its component parts have been put through numerous tests, and have been tested in the harshest of conditions.

14,000 Olympic torches will be produced.

The President of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, Dmitry Chernyshenko remarked:

"The torch is a key symbol of the Relay. The Sochi 2014 torch combines traditional Russian motifs with the very latest technical know-how in the field of design. The elegant, extraordinary and radiant Sochi 2014 torch represents Russia's beauty and its multifaceted nature."