Nevertheless, the Olympics continues … There are also competitions in which Russia is able to compete for the medal. For example, five sets of awards will be played today. More precisely, even six. As …
Around the Olympics
Today another victorious series of our national team will be interrupted (a preview of Thursday events)
Dmitry Losev
However, the Olympics continues. There are also competitions in which Russia is able to compete for the medal. For example, five sets of awards will be played today. More precisely, even six. Since giant slalom competitions in women were postponed due to bad weather today. So, in one of these disciplines we will definitely fight.
As you understand, we are talking about a ski relay race in women. The girls will pass four segments of five kilometers. Since 1988, our female ski relay team has constantly won gold at the Olympic Games. The only thing that discredits this wonderful series a little is the disqualification of the Russian team after the victory in Salt Lake City due to doping found in the blood of Larisa Lazutina and Olga Danilova. Four years ago, Natalya Baranova, Larisa Kurkina, Julia Chepalova and Evgenia Medvedev won the tournnament in the relay race. Only the latter is now in service on the eve of the upcoming race. The head coach of the Russian national team Yuri Charkovsky called the composition of the women's team for today's relay, which will begin at 22:00 Moscow time. The first classic stage will run by the 2007 World Champion Olga Zavyalova, the second will be a bronze medalist of these games in the sprint relay race Irina Khazova. At the first skate stage, the Olympic champion of Turin Yevgeny Medvedev starts from Russia, and Natalya Korosteleva, who, along with Khazova, took third place in the team sprint, will be finished. According to Charkovsky, a lot will depend on how Zavyalov begins the race. The head coach also noted the good emotional von of Khazova and Korostel, who already became the owners of bronze at the Olympics in Vancouver, and in addition, he emphasized that Medvedev was tuned to the baton in the most serious way.
However, the rivals of the Russian team are very strong. According to bookmakers, Norwegians are considered the main favorites. Finnish chances are also highly quoted. Swedes, German, Italians will compete for medals. Among the applicants for the podium, our team is also called.
In other disciplines, Russian athletes have no chances on the medal. Women's ski giant slalom, hockey, figure skating, male ski biathlon, called the Gundersen race and acrobatics in Freestyle – all these sports can be watched calmly, without unnecessary hopes.
But today it became known who will bear the Russian flag at the closure of the Olympic Games.The standard-bearer of the Russian national team at the closing ceremony of the XXI Winter Olympic Games, which will be held on February 28, will be speed skater Ivan Skobrev, who won silver and bronze medals in Vancouver. “To carry the banner of your country at the Olympics is cool! This is a serious assessment of my work and achievements. Such trust is very important for me. And, by the way, it’s good that I was informed of the decision on the flag bearer today – tomorrow morning I was supposed to fly from Vancouver. But now, of course, I will stay, and I have already changed my tickets. I will carry the Russian flag at the closing ceremony, I hope I will talk with the country's president – such an experience will be very important and useful for me.
I want to complete the announcement with a curious story that happened to athletes from Poland. Only on the 12th day of the Olympics, Polish biathletes noticed that the national flag of Poland, which is present on their costumes, was turned upside down. The Polish flag is a canvas with two equal stripes – white and red. If you turn it over, you get the flag of Monaco, under which, against their will, the Polish biathletes performed. Athletes are very outraged by this mistake, and the leader of the Polish biathlon team, Tomasz Sikora, is completely furious.
We don't have any problems with the flag. And thanks for that.
Schedule of Olympic starts on February 25
Curling. Women. Semi-finals 20-00
Ski biathlon. Springboard K-120. Training jump 20-00
Ski biathlon. Springboard K-120. Qualification 21-00
Hockey. Women. Match for third place 22-00
Skiing. Women. Relay 4×5 km. Final 22-00
Ski biathlon. K-120. Race for 10 km. Final 00-00
Curling. Men. Semi-finals 01-00
Hockey. Women. Final 02-30
Figure skating. Women. Free program. Final 04-00
Freestyle. Men. Acrobatics. Final 05-00
