Russia’s Olympic athletes flew to Vancouver with high hopes of gold medals, world records and glory for the motherland.
But on Monday they faced a chilly reception at home when the president joined in a growing chorus of criticism after the team’s worst performance at the winter games since the break-up of the Soviet empire.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanded the resignation of the “fat cats” who he said bore responsibility for Russia’s dismal performance, which saw them finish with just three golds. Despite bold predictions from sports officials it would finish in the top three, the country came 11th, well behind hosts Canada, who scooped a record 14 golds, and trailing South Korea, China and even the Netherlands.
PHOTO: AFP
The result is a personal embarrassment for Vladimir Putin, Russia’s judo-loving black-belt prime minister. Putin is closely linked with Russia’s sporting success and was instrumental in securing the 2014 Winter Olympics for Russia, to be held in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Over the weekend Medvedev abruptly canceled a scheduled visit to Sunday’s closing ceremony, apparently in disgust.
“We must drastically change the training of our athletes ... We have been living on Soviet resources for a long time. But that is over now,” Medvedev told the ruling United Russia Party. “The new training system must focus on athletes rather than on fat cats.”
Opposition politicians demanded the sacking of the sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, and Russian Olympic committee president Leonid Tyagachyev, both close allies of Putin.
The pair were antiheroes, the Moskovsky Komsomolets paper said, ridiculing Tyagachyev’s Panglossian prediction Russia would finish in the top three.
Other commentators pondered the reasons behind Russia’s sporting decline. Under communism, sport was a mass-participation activity, with talented youngsters identified early.
Now sport has become a pastime for Russia’s rich.
“If you look at the statistics for Russia’s Olympic medals you will see a reduction over the past 20 years,” Tamara Moskvina, a Russian figure skating coach and former Soviet national champion, told the Guardian.
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