Novosibirsk waits in anticipation of Universiade Torch Relay

The 27th Summer Universiade 2013 Torch Relay in Novosibirsk starts off in a matter of hours: the city and its residents are actively preparing for the event. The Universiade Torch Relay in Novosibirsk will very soon travel through the city's largest universities, and it will be greeted by thousands of students and residents of the Siberian capital.

The most active preparations are currently underway in the science campus of Novosibirsk State University from where the Torch Relay will start off: the stage is already set up, and the Torchbearers and volunteers of the Torch Relay have been briefed inside the walls of the University.

"It's great to be a Torchbearer: it is an opportunity to present oneself!" says Torchbearer Vladimir Kalinin, medallist at the Russian Youth Championship in Athletics. "I am glad that the uniform with the logo of the Summer Universiade will remain with me as a keepsake of this memorable event. It will be great to wear it during training sessions and to recall the Universiade!"

"I expect positive emotions and impressions from this fascinating event!" shares Torchbearer Anastasia Medvedeva. "It is not every year that our country holds such large-scale events, and taking part in it is a great honour and responsibility, and it is interesting as well."

As we reported earlier, the Novosibirsk leg of the Universiade Torch Relay is divided into 4 big stages with a total length of 8 kilometres. It will start from the nationally-renowned Akademgorodok (science campus) of Novosibirsk State University. Viktor Karma, winner and medallist at the All-Russian Judo Competitions, received the honour of being the first to start the Relay. The region’s best students, athletes, and volunteers, as well as representatives of the Relay’s partners, will carry the Universiade Torch through major universities of Novosibirsk. 

The Torch Relay will come to an end in one of Novosibirsk’s main squares, in front of the entrance to the library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Sergey Gerasimov, the final Torchbearer of today's Relay in Novosibirsk, champion of Russia and gold medallist at the 2003 Summer Universiade in Daegu, will have the honour of kindling the City Cauldron. Governor of the Novosibirsk Region, Vasily Yurchenko, and Engel Fattakhov, Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan, will take part in the ceremony, along with well-known athletes, volunteers, and the Torchbearers, of course.