| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
 |
| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
|
| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
|
| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
Russians threaten to leave the Games
By Lois M. Collins, Sara Giles and Lisa Riley Roche
Deseret News staff writers
Just hours after threatening to pull its athletes from the 2002 Winter Games if "malicious" favoritism doesn't stop, angry Russian Olympic officials filed a formal protest to the results of the ladies figure skating competition that gave an American the gold and a Russian the silver.
During a news conference Thursday, even before the outcome of the ladies figure skating competition was known, Russian Olympic officials in Salt Lake City held a volatile press conference to announce they have warned International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge they will leave Salt Lake City if things don't change.
They said they might not take the ice in today's men's hockey semifinal against the United States, might skip Sunday's closing ceremonies and will perhaps boycott future Games entirely.
"If Russia is not needed in the Olympics, we're ready to leave," said an angry Vitali Smirnov, an IOC vice president from Russia. "There is a limit to everybody's patience. . . . Without Russia, the Olympic Games would be lost."
But today in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced a more measured attitude. Putin said he believes North American athletes have a "clear advantage" in Salt Lake City but suggested Russia will not boycott the rest of the Games. "Let us see how the Olympic Games end. Let us hope that the IOC leadership will manage to solve these difficulties."
Even as he spoke, the lower house of Russia's parliament passed a resolution calling on Russian athletes to boycott Sunday's closing ceremonies unless Olympic officials rerun Thursday's cross country relay in which a Russian superstar was disqualified, bar North American referees from today's hockey semifinal between Russia and the United States and apologize to the Russian Olympic team. The resolution was approved 417-0.
At Thursday's pre-figure skating news conference, the Russian Olympic officials hinted they might instead start their own "clean, objective" games, free of the corruption they say has plagued these Olympics.
Russia, Ukraine, Korea and China have all been singled out and "humiliated" during the 2002 Winter Games, the Russians said.
In a press conference an hour later, IOC Director General Francois Carrard blamed the situation on emotion and suggested it might be resolved over time. "Let's see what time does to this," he said.
The Russians' complaint was three-fold:
- Penalties called in Wednesday's men's ice hockey game, which the Russians won 1-0. According to the game's final results, the Russians were called for six two-minute penalties and the Czechs for three two-minute penalties.
- Blood testing that resulted in disqualification of the Russian and Ukrainian teams from Thursday's women's 4x5K cross country relay.
- An earlier decision in the Games by the IOC to award a second gold medal to Canada in the pairs figure skating competition initially won by Russia, after skating officials suspended a judge for "misconduct."
Add to that list now the outcome of the women's figure skating competition.
Russian Olympic Committee President Leonid Tyagachev said he asked Rogge to investigate each grievance and meet with the heads of the skating, hockey and skiing federations.
Carrard said Rogge was sending a letter Thursday night to Putin but added that the letter was not a response to the Russians' demands. Rogge, Carrard said, had previously planned to write to Putin to congratulate him on Russia's performance at the Games.
Carrard said the letter also stated that the decisions made by the international sports federations involved in the events disputed by Russia were "absolutely correct."
Carrard declined to answer questions about what would happen if the Russians follow through on their threat. "It is a hypothetical question, and I will not take it tonight."
The Russians scheduled their news conference after their women's cross country relay team was disqualified from competition when one of the team members, Larissa Lazutina, was found to have a blood hemoglobin level of 16.8. The limit is 16. The Ukrainian team was also disqualified after one of its members showed an elevated hemoglobin level.
Carrard emphasized repeatedly that the blood test that disqualified Lazutina was not a "doping" test but was rather a "health test" required by the International Skiing Federation.
But the elevated hemoglobin level naturally raised questions of so-called "blood doping," a practice that involves injecting blood set aside earlier in order to increase stamina. While doping could elevate the hemoglobin level, it can also occur naturally.
Lazutina has already medaled twice in the 2002 Winter Games and passed all previous blood tests.
Lazutina took silver in last Friday's 5K pursuit and silver in the 15km freestyle on Feb. 9. Each athlete who medals is automatically subjected to urine testing to screen for doping violations.
The Russians complained that one member of the Russian relay team had been tested Thursday and found within the acceptable range, then for unknown reasons a second team member was tested — Lazutina.
"It was a disgusting, malicious attitude shown at the race that has never been shown before," said Artur Chilingarov, head of the Russian parliament.
The Russians claimed their athlete had a too-high hemaglobin level because she was menstruating — and possibly because of the high altitude.
It's not just a delegation's pride that has been hurt, said Tyagachev. "The Russian team is considered a strong team, a strong country, and a lot of money is riding on these competitions."
Other IOC leaders also tried to downplay the possibility of Russia's leaving. "There is no reason to overreact now in any way," said Thomas Bach, an IOC vice president from Germany. "I think once the emotions are calming down a little bit, the Russian officials will realize" that their actions will hurt their athletes — as well as Moscow's chance to host an upcoming Summer Games.
Bach, who spoke with Rogge Thursday, said the IOC president was "very calm." He said his understanding is that the Russian officials in Salt Lake are under pressure from political leaders at home. "The Russian delegation here was encouraged, if not required, to act in a certain way," Bach said.
E-MAIL: lois@desnews.com; sgiles@desnews.com; lisa@desnews.com
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February 22, 2002
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