Winter Olympics flame lands in Vladivostok

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- The Olympic flame reached Russia's Pacific Coast Saturday and will begin the long trek west to the site of the 2014 Winter Games, officials said.

Russia's organizing committee flew the torch to Vladivostok from western Russia aboard an Aeroflot airliner. It took 19 days and a dozen separate flights covering 24,455 kilometers (15,196 miles) to reach the Pacific port, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency said.

The epic torch relay across the vast country began last month in St. Petersburg. The opening ceremony for the Winter Games in Sochi is Feb. 7.

Plans call for the flame to travel back west to Sochi aboard a special Russian Railways train, which will make more than 80 stops as it makes its way across southern Russia.