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Sochi Olympic torchbearer dies after carrying flame

Olympic Torch Relay

Torch bearers hold Olympic torches during the torch relay in the Far Eastern University on the Russky Island near the port city of Vladivostok, Russian Far East, Russia, Friday, Nov. 15, 2013. The relay for the Sochi Winter Games, which began on Oct. 7 2013 in Moscow, will pass through many cities that showcase the historical, cultural and ethnic richness of Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Khitrov)

AP

A man who took part in the Sochi Olympic torch relay suffered a heart attack and died after carrying the Olympic flame on Sunday.

Vadim Gorbenko, 73, a former Greco-Roman wrestling coach, felt ill after walking 500 feet as a torchbearer in his home Siberian city of Kurgan, according to Reuters.

“He returned to the gathering place and was photographed, then he said he was not feeling well and was taken to hospital, but the doctors were unable to save him,” said Sochi 2014 torch relay spokesman Roman Osin, according to Reuters. “We express our deepest condolences to his loved ones.”

Gorbenko had suffered two heart attacks before.

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