Russians threaten to pull out of Games

[frog]

Russians threaten to pull out of Games
Feb. 21, 2002
SportsLine.com staff and wire reports



SALT LAKE CITY -- Russia threatened to pull out of the Olympics on Thursday and South Korea said it might boycott the closing ceremony over a string of decisions against their athletes that angered both countries.


Russia's Leonid Tyagachiov: 'We only have so much patience.'(AP)
The two nations complained bitterly about favoritism, plunging the Olympics into controversy once again with only three days to go in the Games.

Russian Olympic officials, upset over the disqualification of a cross-country skier and still smarting over the pairs skating controversy, threatened to go home and said they might not compete in the Athens Games if their concerns are not addressed.

The Russian men's hockey team is scheduled to play the United States in the semifinals on Friday, and a 30-kilometer women's cross-country event is set for Sunday.

"If decisions are not made and issues we raised not resolved, the Russian team will not play hockey, will not run 30 kilometers, will look very negatively on other factors," Russian Olympic Committee president Leonid Tyagachev said.

South Korea was just as unhappy, and said it would pursue legal action to overturn a gold medal won Wednesday night by Apolo Anton Ohno when a judge ruled a Korean skater illegally blocked the American.

"We will do whatever necessary to correct this," said Park Sung-in, head of South Korea's Olympic team. "We can take various measures, including not participating during the closing ceremony."

Tyagachev said he told IOC president Jacques Rogge that his nation was "greatly unappreciated" in the Olympics.

IOC leadership met Thursday night in special session to discuss the issues raised by the Russians and South Koreans.

"We're watching it very closely, checking with the federations seeking reassurance on their judges and trying to calm the various groups," IOC vice president Kevan Gosper said.

Rogge had spoken with the presidents of skating, skiing and hockey "and was reassured that their judges are acting in accordance with the rules," Gosper said.

The Russian threats came hours after one of the nation's top athletes, cross-country skier Larissa Lazutina, was disqualified from the 20-kilometer relay because of high levels of hemoglobin found in a pre-race blood test.

Gosper said Rogge noted in his talks with the Russians that the Lazutina case "is a health issue" and that no duplicate golds would be awarded in that case.

"At the same time, we understand from the Russians that their people at home are very unhappy, as are the Koreans," Gosper said.

That unhappiness was evident when Tyagachev said there was a 24-hour window to address the situation, and that if Russia left Salt Lake City it probably would not compete in Athens in the next Summer Games.

"Once you leave, it is not easy to come back in," he said.

Later, Vitaly Smirnov, an IOC vice president from Russia, tempered Tyagachev's remarks, saying there was no ultimatum "not 24 hours or 48 hours."

However, he said the Russian team wanted Rogge to write a letter to Tyagachev "and address our concerns."

Tyagachev said that while Lazutina's hemoglobin count was just above the legal limit, she was not guilty of doping.

"We are clean," he said. "We have nothing to hide."

A urine test on Lazutina will determine whether her case will be considered a drug positive. Results were expected Friday; she was scheduled to compete in the 30-kilometer race.

Lazutina, who has already won two silvers at these games to increase her career medal total to nine, last raced on Feb. 15 in the 5-kilometer pursuit.

She was hoping for a record-tying 10th medal, but her disqualification knocked four-time defending champion Russia out of Thursday's relay event.

But Tyagachev was upset by more than the Lazutina case.

He made repeated references to the figure skating judging dispute, in which Russia's Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze won the pairs' competition but had to share the gold medal with Canada's Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.

"This was a new decision that was practically unprecedented," he said. "We went along with the decision and tried to look at it objectively. ... But we have only so much patience."

Tyagachev also referred to what he said was a high number of Russian athletes picked for drug tests and an unspecified ruling by a goal judge in ice hockey.

"I think we are seeing a witch hunt," he said.

Smirnov warned against taking his country's complaints too lightly.

"Without Russia, the Olympic Games will be lost," he said.

Tyagachev said he would meet with top officials of the International Ice Hockey Federation, the International Skating Union and the international ski federation FIS to discuss his complaints.

"We defend our honor," he said.

He also said that if the same rules that led to duplicate golds in pairs skating were applied to the cross-country relay, Russia should share that gold with race winner Germany.

"I told Rogge that since the Canadian figure skaters were awarded a second gold medal, by the same logic our relay should get a gold, too, since it's been dominant for so long," he said. "Or if this is not an 'objective' solution, why not stage a new relay on Saturday?"

The Ukrainian team also did not start event because Valentina Shevchenko failed a blood test. Ukrainian officials declined to comment.

Germany won the gold medal, Norway took the silver and Switzerland got the bronze.

The Russians planned to protest the race.

"This is a scandal. They are specifically hunting out Russian sportsmen," team leader Gennady Ramensky said.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2001, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

[bayshore kid]

They're really too scared to play the US.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[Railbird]

Belarus upset was much bigger than US upset in 80. I just hope the refs give Russia a fair shake, I will not bet it, but will be pulling for Russia.

[rocko]

would players who wagered on russia to win the gold be entitled to a refund ???

[Remington]

Railbird,

You are sorely mistaken. The USA upset of the Soviet team in 1980 was a FAR greater upset than Belarus over Sweden. The Soviet team had beaten the same USA team 10 days prior to the Olympics 11-3 (and the game wasn't even that close) in Madison Square Garden. That Soviet team had even dominated a few NHL clubs in exhibitions in the months prior to the Olympics. The Soviet team had so much future NHL talent on its amazing. Hell, Larionov is STILL playing in the NHL!

I would guess that USA would have been at least a 25 to 1 shot to win that game in 1980. What was the money line on that Sweden-Belarus game??

Your statement on this topic was one of the more idiotic that I have ever seen on this board (and that is REALLY saying something)!

[kraftar]

rocko... don't count on it.

I doubt the Russians will pull out, but if they do I'd assume the bookies would treat it the same way as when a tennis player withdrawals from a tournament after he/she's already played.... you lose if you picked them to win it all. On the other hand, I assume that all bets on the US/Russia game would be voided.

Remington,

the lines on the Swe-Belarus game at Olympic were around -19000/+1700. That would put the odds of Belarus winning between 18-1 and 191-1. That's a vig of about %5.032. If you split the vig evenly between the Sweden & Belarus lines and calculate what the 'true' odds were I think you end up with a moneyline of around -3190/+3190... or about 33-1 odds on Belarus.

Now maybe your odds of 25-1 for the US in 1980 included the vig so the 'true' odds were higher than Belarus'... if anyone can find out what the odds were we can see. Until then I'd have to say that either Railbird's comments are NOT the most idiotic you've seen on the board or you don't read the board much....

[kraftar]

oops, slight math error. forgot to subtract a 1 from the dollar figures to get the odds. So Belarus' odds of winning lie between 17-1 and 190-1. The 'vig adjusted' odds are then 32-1 (not 33-1). Minor error and Belarus' odds are still higher than USA's 25-1 odds...but I might as well get it right (hopefully).

[DrunkenGoon]

The USA was not 25-1 in 1980... Maybe 5-1 to win that game but not 25-1... Whoever comes up with these numbers is smoking some good shite..

[kraftar]

Goon,

That's what I thought.... even if we're generous and give the USA 10-1, the Belarus win is clearly the bigger upset.

[neilm]

Railbird,

As an American, why on earth would you be pulling for Russia???????????

[neilm]

This in no way diminishes the "Miracle on Ice", which was a magical and special moment in the history of both international and US hockey, but....

The Americans were undefeated in the 1980 Olympics heading into their Semi-final versus the USSR. Clearly 0-3 Belarus versus 3-0 Sweden was a bigger upset.