posted 07-09-2013 07:56 AM               

With the Olympic flame due to arrive in Russia in three months' time, the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee has already approved approximately half of the torchbearers for the Olympic Torch Relay. Of the 140,000 candidates, nearly 6,000 torchbearers have now been selected, representing all 83 regions of Russia.

Those who will have the honour of carrying the Olympic flame during the Torch Relay include the world's first female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova...

posted 10-21-2013 08:00 AM               

Space-bound Sochi Olympic torch heads to launch site as cosmonaut carries flame

Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who in June 1963 lifted off on the then-Soviet Union's Vostok 6, becoming the first woman to fly in space, was in her home city of Yaroslavl, Russia Saturday, to receive the torch and light the town's Olympic cauldron.

"Today we have a very important day," Tereshkova said, according to a summary published by the Olympic Winter Games organizing committee. "The Olympic flame arrived in Yaroslavl – and it is a symbol of courage, purity and the struggle for the victory."

"In space, we have to hide emotions far far away because of the responsibility," Tereshkova remarked. "Today there were emotions, but the main thing was not to let down the people who trusted me with this role."

posted 02-07-2014 02:59 PM               

Sochi Winter Olympics launch with space-flown torch, cosmonaut flag-bearers

The 22nd Winter Olympic Games were launched in Sochi, Russia on Friday (Feb. 7) using a torch that flew to the International Space Station and back.

The space-themed spectacle, which took place as part of an elaborate opening ceremony, also featured cosmonauts helping to raise the Russian and Olympic flags in the Fisht Olympic Stadium and the projection of recorded scenes from the historic spacewalk that carried the Olympic torch into open outer space for the first time.

...In addition to the nine station crew members who carried the torch while it was in space, among the 14,000 people who ran with the flame on Earth were cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko, who in 2015 will begin a yearlong stay on the station; Sergei Krikalev, chief of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center; and Valentina Tereshkova, who last year marked the 50th anniversary of becoming the world's first woman to fly in space.

Krikalev and Tereshkova were at Fisht stadium on Friday to hoist Russia's flag and the flag of the Olympic Games, respectively, symbolizing Russia's role as the host nation for the Winter Games. Joining Krikalev for the honor were cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin (who returned from space with the torch), Roman Romanenko, Svetlana Savitskaya and Elena Serova.

posted 02-11-2014 09:35 AM               

Recalling adventures in space: Lieutenant General Thomas Stafford and Air Force Major General Alexei Leonov meet at the OMEGA Pavilion

The legendary space explorers share stories from their experiences beyond our earth.

On 10 February, guests at the OMEGA Pavilion in Sochi witnessed the reunion of astronaut Lieutenant General Thomas Stafford and cosmonaut Air Force Major General Alexei Leonov at an event highlighting the significance of past space explorations.

The astronaut and the cosmonaut are best known for their roles in the space race, their extensive work on a number of space missions for their countries and their meaningful handshake during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) in 1975 – a gesture that is often said to have played a role in ending the Cold War. The ASTP was the first joint flight between American and Soviet spacecraft and this historic event and its significance were discussed during a question-and-answer session on stage at the Pavilion.

Describing the importance of the program, Mr. Stafford said: "What Apollo Soyuz showed the whole world was that these two great countries with different languages, different units of measurements and certainly vastly different political systems could work together to achieve a common goal."

Stephen Urquhart, President of OMEGA, recounted his brand's involvement in space exploration, saying: "I think people underestimate the value of the encounter of the Apollo Soyuz Project." He pointed out that the project's significance has been overshadowed by the lunar landings that had taken place a few years earlier adding that while the missions to the Moon were extraordinary technological achievements, Apollo Soyuz had long term political and sociological significance that continues to resonate.

Before walking through the Pavilion and taking a ride on the bobsleigh simulator, Mr. Stafford spoke about his appreciation for the brand, saying to OMEGA President Urquhart: "We want to thank you and OMEGA for all you've contributed to space exploration."

posted 02-12-2014 04:28 PM               

"I have been to the 1964 Olympics in Innsbruck, and the Sarayevo Olympics in 1982. Being here in Sochi one can hardly realize that it's winter now, with air temperatures being 16 degrees Celsius above zero. People who come from Siberia are used to a different winter," Leonov said. He was the first Soviet cosmonaut to make a spacewalk in 1965.

Speaking to Itar-Tass, Leonov said he had not ventured to go to the mountain cluster yet." All the people I know said it is wonderful up there. The downhill ski track deserves a particular high praise. It has a very good structure and actually, it has no analogues in the world at present. Sochi has changed beyond recognition, and changed for the better," Leonov stressed.