2019 Winter Universiade flame lighting ceremony starts
The 2019 Winter Universiade flame lighting ceremony organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) took place in Turin (Italy) on 20 September. Turin became the first city of the international stage of the 2019 Winter Universiade Torch Relay. The flame lighting ceremony is traditionally held in Turin. Turin was the first Summer Universiade host city in 1959.
The ceremony was held on the territory of the University of Turin. Oleg Matytsin, FISU President, Chiara Appendino, Mayor of Turin, Gianmaria Ajani, Rector of the University of Turin, Marco Gilli, Rector of the Polytechnic University of Turin, and representatives of the Russian delegation – Sergey Seyranov, President of the Russian Students Sport Union, Maxim Urazov, Director General of ANO Directorate Krasnoyarsk 2019, and others – took part in the official part of the event.
During the ceremony, the presentation of the Krasnoyarsk Krai and city of Krasnoyarsk was conducted. “Yenisei Siberia” performance directed by Ilya Averbukh, silver medallist of the 2002 Olympic Games and Ambassador of the Winter Universiade Krasnoyarsk 2019, became the highlight of the event.
Fire bowl lighting became the climax of the ceremony. The 1959 First Torch Relay was the source of the flame in the bowl. Nikolay Olyunin, Russian snowboarder, silver medalist of the 2014 Olympic Games, silver medalist of the 2013 Winter Universiade, Ambassador of the Universiade lighted the Torch of the 2019 Winter Universiade from this bowl.
On 24 September, the 2019 Winter Universiade Torch Relay will take place in Almaty (Kazakhstan), the host city of the 2017 Winter Universiade. On 26 September, the stage of the Torch Relay will be held in Harbin (People's Republic of China), the host city of the 2009 Winter Universiade.
On 29 September, the Russian stage of the Torch Relay will start involving 30 major cities of the country. The project will end on 1 March 2019 in Krasnoyarsk, the capital of the 2019 Winter Universiade.