The Coca-Cola Company started Nomination Campaign of Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay

The longest route in history of winter Olympic Games will cover 65 000 kilometers in 123 days and will pass through 2900 towns and cities. The Coca-Cola Company as the Presenting Partner of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay has the exclusive opportunity to select 2014 Torchbearers – the most worthy of millions of people across the country who lead an active lifestyle and seek to change the lives of people around for better.

The Torchbearers Nomination Campaign will be held from January 15th till March 17th, 2013. 
Any Russian citizen over 14 years old will have the opportunity to submit the application form on the official website of the Coca-Cola Company (http://www.coca-cola.ru/ ) to participate in Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay. 

The independent jury consisting of the most famous and respected athletes, actors and musicians, representing 8 Federal Districts of Russia will choose the most merited candidates among all applicants. At the General meeting the jury will form the final list with 2014 names of Olympic torchbearers. The jury will include:
• Alexander Ovechkin - two-times Olympic champion, Russian professional hockey player, left winger NHL ‘Washington Capitals’, ‘Dinamo’ (Moscow) winger, the Ambassador of ‘Sochi 2014’.
• Elena Isinbayeva - Russian pole vaulter, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, Olympic Champion, the mayor of the Olympic Village in Sochi.
• Maria Kiseleva - Russian synchronized swimmer, three-times Olympic champion, three-times world champion, nine-times European champion, Merited Master of Sports of Russia, TV presenter.
• Ilya Lagutenko - Russian rock musician, the front man of the ‘Mummy Troll’ band.
• Ekaterina Gamova - twice world champion in volleyball, the silver medalist in the ‘Sydney 2000’ and ‘Athens 2004’ Olympic Games.
• Alexei Nemov - four-times Olympic champion in sports gymnastics, a five-times world champion owner of 12 Olympic medals.
• Tatyana Lazareva – Russian TV presenter, actress, public and media figure 
• Kamil Gadzhiev - world champion in Jujutsu, Master of Sports, the coach of the Moscow combat sambo team.

On January 17th the unique exhibition ‘Coca-Cola. Carry the Olympic Flame. Vlivaisya!’ dedicated to the start of Nomination Campaign of Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay will be opened. Everyone can visit the exhibition from 17th (from 15-00) till 24th of January 2013 in the Lumiere’s Brothers Center at the Red October. The main exhibits of exhibition are the main symbols of past Olympic Torch Relays including Torches, Torchbearers’ uniform, exclusive photos, unique exhibits of the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games. Visitors will have the opportunity move in the future and feel the atmosphere of Sochi 2014Olympic Torch Relay.

On January 25th the exhibition ‘History & Future of OTR with Coke’ will depart from Moscow and will go on a tour of 13 cities in Russia. The main exhibit will be the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch and the 9 Olympic torches of the past Olympics. Anyone will be able to touch the symbol of the Olympic Games and submit the application to participate in the Relay. The opening of the exhibition will be held with the participation of representatives of local authorities, representatives of the head office of Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Hellenic. The exhibition will be lasting 2 days in each city. The opening is scheduled for the following dates:

Moscow
26.01.13 – 27.01.13 Mega Tepliy Stan (Moscow, 41st km of MKAD)
Saint-Petersburg
02.02.2013 – 3.02.2013 Mega Dybenko (Leningradskaya region, 12th km of Murmanskoe highway)
Sochi
09.02.2013 – 10.02.2013 More Mall (Krasnodarskiy district, Sochi, Novaya Zarya street, 7)
Nizhny Novgorod
16.02.2013 – 17.02.2013 Mega (Nizhegorodskaya region, Fedyakovo village)
Samara
23.02.2013 – 24.02.2013 Mega (24th km of Moskovskoe Highway)
Novosibirsk
02.03.2013 – 03.03.2013 Mega (Vatutina street, 107)
Krasnoyarsk
09.03.2013 – 10.03. 2013 Planeta Mall (Krasnoyarsk, 9th of May street, 77)
Irkutsk 16.03.2013 – 17.03.2013
Jam Moll (Sergeeva street, 2)
Yekaterinburg
23.03.2013 – 24.03.2013 Mega (Metallurgov street, 87)
Ufa
30.03.2013 – 31.03.2013 Mega (Rubezhnaya street, 174)
Kazan
06.04.2013 – 07.04.2013 Mega (Pobedy prospect, 141)
Volgograd
13.04.2013 – 14.04.2013 Europe (Lenina prospect, 54b)
Rostov-on-don
20.04.2013 – 21.04.2013 Mega (Aksay, Aksayskiy prospect, 23)
Krasnodar
27.04.2013 – 28.04.2013 Mega Adygeya-Kuban (Adygeya republic, Novaya Adygeya road, 27)

Dmitry Chernyshenko, the President of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee:
«The Olympic torch relay is a chance for everyone to join the Olympic movement, to feel him or herself a part of a single whole, a part of the huge country. It is very important to convey to the people of Russia detailed information on this unique possibility, therefore, it is difficult to overestimate the work of the organizers of Nomination Campaign.

Zoran Vucinic, the President, Russia, Ukraine & Belarus Business Unit:
«It is not the first time when The Coca-Cola Company supports the Olympic torch Relay, so we are sure that our experience will allow us to successfully carry out Nomination Campaign for the longest Torch Relay. We understand the importance of the event for the inhabitants of the country; therefore, we will make our best for the success of the Campaign. I would like to note that it is an honor for us to cooperate with the respectable members of the jury and we hope for fruitful work».