With only three gold medals, Medvedev wants answers
Russian President Dmitri A. Medvedev is all riled up. His mood has nothing to do with the reopening of land routes to Georgia on Monday, or his ongoing discussions with France about warships and natural gas. Nope. Medvedev is downright peeved about his country’s abysmal Olympic showing, and he’s ready
to do something about it. “Those who are responsible for training for the Olympics must take responsibility,” Medvedev said on Monday. Adding, “They
must have the courage to submit their resignation. And if they do not have this resolve, we will help them.” Medvedev, disappointed with Russia’s mere three gold medals, canceled his scheduled trip to Vancouver for the Olympic closing ceremonies. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also stressed that Russia’s performance should provoke “serious critical analysis.” Then again, Medvedev and Putin have reason to worry; in four years, Russian will host the Games in Sochi.