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Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the Olympic flame to Russia on Sunday in a spectacular ceremony in the capital's Red Square.
The flame, transported from Athens, Greece, by a special Aeroflot plane, was carried in a lantern through Moscow inside of a motorcade led by motorcycles.
At Red Square, thousands of spectators, which included sports figures and celebrities, waited in excited anticipation of its arrival, watching a spirited performance by cheerleaders waving pom-poms and dancing in track suits in the colors of the Russian flag.
Putin said the 65,000-kilometer torch relay would unite Russia and enliven its residents.
The torch had to be re-lit as the second runner came through one of the Kremlin arches, but after a light from a man along the Kremlin path, the runner went on his way.
