Russians upset over Olympic flop

[dbackjon]

President Dmitry Medvedev demanded Monday that Russian sports officials step down over the country’s dismal performance at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Russia, a traditional winter sports powerhouse, won just 15 medals—with only three golds—in one of its worst performances. Officials said before the games that 30 medals and a top-three finish in the medal standings was the target.

Russia placed 11th for golds and sixth in the overall medal count.

“Those who bear the responsibility for Olympic preparations should carry that responsibility. It’s totally clear,” he said. “I think that the individuals responsible, or several of them, who answer for these preparations, should take the courageous decision to hand in their notice. If we don’t see such decisiveness, we will help them.”

In post-Soviet history, Russia had never previously finished outside the top five in the medal standings and only won fewer medals once before, in 2002 at Salt Lake City. Russia was the top nation at the 1994 Lillehammer Games, garnering 23 medals—11 gold.

In nine Winter Olympics between 1956 and 1988, the Soviet Union failed to top the medal standings only twice, finishing runner-up on those occasions.

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?s ... &type=lgns

[Col Hogan]

THat's the bad news.....the good news is, the Summer Olympics are only two years away...and the Russions are hard at work preparing for a "gold rush"...

[Mountaineer]

How about this line:

Doping bans had also deprived Russia of several leading medal contenders, he said.

[GannonFan]

Kind of a softer, gentler Russia these days. A failure like this back in the Soviet days would've seen someone shot or exiled rather than being encouraged to resign.

[dgreco]

Russia needs Putin back.

[Wedgebuster]

[93henfan]

Russia needs Putin back.

Back?

Who do you think is pulling the strings on the puppet in charge? It's the Russian equivalent of Cheney/Bush.

[Grizalltheway]