An international delegation of the Arctic states brought the Olympic flame to the North Pole as a part of the Torch Relay to the North Pole for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The delegation was led by Artur Chilingarov, a famous Russian polar explorer and the Special Envoy of President Putin to the Arctic and the Antarctic. It consisted of members, who represent science communities of the Arctic states, and many of them are active in international scientific higher educational cooperation. Professor Lassi Heininen from the University of Lapland, the chairman of the Northern Research Forum Steering Committee, was one of the honorary torchbearers and the representative of Finland in the trip. Among the torchbearers were also Elena Kudryashova, Rector of the Northern Arctic Federal University, Russia; Jan-Gunnar Winther, Director of the Norwegian Polar Institute; Pat Pitney, Vice-Chancellor of University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA; and Steingrimur Jonsson, Professor at University of Akureyri, Iceland.

The voyage has several functions and dimensions: Firstly, and first of all, it is one of the highlights of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay, first time the Olympic flame was brought to the North Pole; Secondly, the strong international cooperation between, and common interests of, the eight Arctic states was emphasized during the journey. Actually the whole voyage and Torch Relay to the North Pole is a manifest of that; Thirdly, having such a strong representation of the international Arctic science community the interplay between science, (higher) education and sport was implemented. This was strengthened, even manifested, by the series of lectures on the Arctic and northern affairs by all the torchbearers. This has not always been the case in Olympic torch relays; and Finally, this was the first time, when the North Pole was reached in darkness during the long polar night, and it was done in the record time of 91 hours and 12 minutes.

The Organizing Committee of the XXII Olympic Winter Games (and the XI Paralympic Winter Games) of 2014 in the City of Sochi was in charge of the Torch Relay to the North Pole, which took place in October 14-25, 2013. The technical implementation was done by the Russian Rosatom which owns the strongest nuclear icebreaker of the world “50 Years of the Victory”. The Olympic flame arrived to Moscow on the 6th of October 2013, and it will arrive to the opening of the Sochi Winter Games on the 7th of February 2014. With its 65 000 kilometres the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay will be the longest national relay in the history of Olympic Winter Games.

Here you can find a video of the interviews of the torch bearers ( only in Russian)

Summary of the video:
This is a report giving an overview of the trip.
For the first time in the history Olympic flame was brought to the North Pole. It was long traveling , ice cover, the largest icebreaker in the world. Torchbearers team consisted of 11 people from 8 Arctic countries. It is important that this initiative was supported by the Arctic region partners. A special place was given for the Olympic flame (special room), which is stored in special lamp. Everyone could take a picture. This is a celebration for the crew as well as for the participants.
Featured interview with university representatives (Elena Kudryashova, Russia, and Karen Pat Pitney the USA), and Russian polar explorers (Arthur Chilingarov and Viktor Boyarskyi).

The torch should be lit in any weather. It seems that the sun came up, but in fact it is the moon. At the pole the only light is Olympic torch. The ceremony had already started on the deck of the icebreaker and then the torchbearers transferred of the flame to the ice.

All the participants are already the winners. This trip was the fastest (91 hours) among the other similar trips. The best wishes to the Olympic games.