If you think Russia has been tearing it up in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, look at what’s happening with their Winter Olympic sports program.
May 20 – Alexander Zhukov (pictured right) will today be formally installed as the new President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), replacing Leonid Tyagachev, who resigned in March in the wake of the team’s disastrous performance at the Olympics in Vancouver. …
Russia finished a relatively lowly 11th in the overall medals table in Vancouver, winning just 15 medals, only three of which were gold, the team’s worst performance since the break-up of the Soviet Union.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has already set out what Zhukov’s goal must be.
Putin’s adviser Rostislav Murzagulov said: “The task is set clearly: first place in overall medals table in Sochi is a successful result, second – unsuccessful, third – an epic failure.”
Zhukov is Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister. (I’m surprised that Putin didn’t take over the Russian Olympic Committee himself.)
Money is no obstacle in Russia. This at the same time 12 sports just had funding cut in Great Britain. And more cuts might be coming under the new government there.
1 comment so far ↓
While the second article is recent, the first dates from 29 Jan 2009. I’m not sure how relevent that is.
The russian attitude is concerning. Sure, they can be disappointed and work for a better result, but ‘epic failure’ to come 3rd? I think the atheletes who would have worked so hard to achieve that might disagree.
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