A string of prominent athletes and IOC President Thomas Bach "will carry the flame of the Sochi Winter Games in the final leg of the torch relay." The flame will be taken to the Black Sea resort by train Feb. 5 "and will spend three days touring the city before arriving at the opening ceremony." Famous names to carry the torch include Bach, "pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva, synchronized swimmer Maria Kiseleva, bobsledder Alexey Voyevoda, figure skaters Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov" (R-SPORT, 1/22). ... Former Pakistan hockey Olympian Rehan Butt said that the "Pakistan hockey team might have to miss the Olympic Games owing to lack of funds." Butt: “We are about to miss Azlan Shah Hockey event, Common Wealth Games, Youth Games and above all Asian Games which are very important for the country as if we do not appear in Asian Games, we will be unable to qualify for the Olympics Games” (THE NATION, 1/22). ... A Georgian National Olympic Committee official said that a 19-member Georgian delegation including four athletes "will travel to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games." GNOC VP Mamuka Khabareli said that "the Georgian delegation would also be made up of three coaches, four National Olympic Committee officials, and eight journalists" (XINHUA, 1/22).
