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Journalist says Olympic flame has gone out at least 44 times on torch relay

Olympic Torch Relay

In this photo provided by Olympictorch2014.com and taken on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, torch bearer Maria Iovleva, a Russian biathlete and cross-country skier representing Russia at the 2010 Winter Paralympics, left, and Ivan Volzhanin, right, hold Olympic torches during a relay in Syktyvkar, 1300 km (812 miles) north-east of Moscow, Russia. The relay for the Sochi Winter Games, which began Monday in Moscow, will pass through many cities that showcase the historical, cultural and ethnic richness of Russia. (AP Photo/Olympictorch2014.com)

AP

The Olympic flame has been extinguished an average of more than once per day during the Sochi Olympic torch relay, according to a journalist following the record trek.

The flame has gone out at least 44 times, according to the Moscow Times.

A torch relay spokesman told Reuters the number of flameouts was within the normal range of error, comparing it to incidents during the Beijing and London torch relays. The spokesman did not say how many times the flame went out.

Olympic torch will go into outer space; launch live stream

The Sochi Olympic torch relay began Oct. 7 in Moscow -- after being lit Sept. 29 in Olympia. It infamously went out minutes into the first leg in Moscow, when a man with a lighter relit the torch at the Kremlin.

The relay is set to last 123 days -- up to the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 7 -- and cross 40,000 miles, the longest relay in Olympic Winter Games history. Its next major journey is to the International Space Station later this week.

Torch relay: By the numbers

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