When Vladimir Putin addressed the 2007 IOC congress in Guatemala to help Russia's bid to host the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the political strongman cited the storied past of his nation in the Winter Games.
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Russian Bear not fierce so far in Vancouver
- February 17, 2010 4:27 PM |
- By Noah Love
Story provided by
By Jeremy Sandler, National Post
When Vladimir Putin addressed the 2007 IOC congress in Guatemala to help Russia's bid to host the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the political strongman cited the storied past of his nation in the Winter Games.
The Russian Prime Minister said simply it was time for a country that has been a Winter Olympic power to host the event.
Although the Soviet Union did not enter the Winter Olympic fray until 1956, athletes competing under the banners of the U.S.S.R., Russian or Unified Team (used in 1992 following the break-up of the Soviet Union) won 293 medals, more than any other country. They were the overall medal winners in seven of 13 Winter Games since 1956.
That includes 76 medals for Russians in four Olympics from 1994 to 2006. In that span, the country's worst result was sixth place at Salt Lake City in 2002.
But based on the first few days of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, it seems the Russian bear may be largely toothless.
After the first four days of competition, the Russian Federation had earned one lonely bronze medal by speed skater Ivan Skobrev in the men's 5,000 metres.
While it is true that figure skating and men's hockey -- events in which Russia has historically been dominant -- have yet to dole out any hardware, even the figure skating stable appears to be thinning. For the first time since 1964 -- covering 12 Olympic Games -- Russia failed to win the pairs competition. Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov both fell in their free skate and finished fourth.
It is also natural to wonder what impact a whack of doping suspensions has had on the country's performance. That is particularly so for cross-country and Nordic combined, disciplines where Russians have known great success and which doled out 21 medals through Tuesday.
Some 30 athletes, including at least one Russian, were suspended from competition on the eve of the Vancouver Games.
Since the start of 2009, at least eight top Russian biathletes and cross-country skiers - including five-time Olympic medalist Albina Akhatova and former world champion Yekaterina Iourieva received two-year bans following positive tests for EPO, the blood-boosting drug also popular in elite cycling.
Russia dropped 2006 individual sprint bronze medalist Alena Sidko from its team last month for a similar violation.
While there are still more than half of this year's Olympics to go, the circumstantial evidence suggests stricter doping controls could really cut into Russia's medal haul.
About the Author
- Bruce Arthur Bruce Arthur is the National Post's national sports columnist. A Vancouver native, he has been with the Post since 2001, and a columnist since 2005. He is covering his second Olympics, after the 2008 Games in Beijing. He expects these Games to be slightly less propagandistic, and for China to win slightly fewer medals.
- Joe O'Connor Joe O'Connor is a roving sports feature writer with an open-ended beat. He joined the National Post in 2002, and has spent the past seven years bouncing from sport to sport, offering fresh perspectives and delivering unique stories wherever he goes. Whether it has been getting Don Cherry to open up about his love life; George Chuvalo to talk about heartbreaking loss; or racing down the side of a mountain with former Crazy Canuck, Dave Irwin, the veteran Postie chases a story wherever it leads. Before joining the newspaper he was a two-time silver medalist at the National Magazine Awards. Vancouver will be his first Olympics.
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