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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, February 18, 2010

Winter Olympics: Russian party says sports leaders should resign


Associated Press

MOSCOW — Russian nationalist parliament members are calling for top sports officials to resign because of the country’s mediocre showing so far in the Winter Olympics.

Igor Lebedev, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party’s faction in the State Duma, says Russia’s performance has brought “bitterness and insult” to the country.
Russia had only three medals — one of each color — putting it 11th in overall standings. Russia generally has been one of the Winter Games’ dominating forces.
In a statement Thursday, Lebedev said Russian Olympic Committee head Leonid Tyagachev should resign immediately and that sports minister Vitaly Mutko should go if Russia’s performance doesn’t improve.