What conclusions might be drawn from the efficiency of Russian athletes on the Beijing Video games?
The final contingent of Russia’s Winter Olympians is because of arrive again in Moscow on Monday after departing Beijing, following a fortnight of intense competitors on varied ski slopes, ice rinks, and racetracks.
Over the previous two weeks or so, there have been successes and failures, trials and tribulations, heart-warming moments and unsavory sagas for the celebs from the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) workforce.
Right here, we assess how the 2022 Beijing Video games went from the angle of Russian sport.
What have been Russian expectations earlier than the Beijing Video games?
Heading into Beijing, Russian officers have been optimistic of a much better exhibiting than 4 years in the past in PyeongChang.
On the 2018 Winter Video games, the Russian workforce (then named ‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’) managed 17 medals in whole, consisting of simply two gold, six silver and 9 bronze medals. That left the OAR workforce languishing in thirteenth place within the medal desk.
Earlier than Beijing, ROC chief Stanislav Pozdnyakov stated the workforce was aiming for a big enhance on that quantity.
“We see that our athletes are able to profitable a complete of about 30 medals. We’ll concentrate on this end result,” Pozdnyakov stated again in December.
What number of medals did the Russian workforce win in Beijing?
These goals proved prescient because the ROC workforce ended up profitable a complete of 32 medals in China. That tally consists of six gold, 12 silver and 14 bronze medals.
Based mostly on gold medals and the official Beijing desk, the ROC workforce was ninth; however when it comes to the general whole of medals, the Russian workforce was second behind solely Norway.
The full medal tally is a Winter Video games document for Russia as an unbiased nation, beating the 30 medals accrued at Sochi 2014.
Summing up the leads to Beijing, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko – a key determine in Russian sport – stated the nation’s “strategic purpose” is to be again within the prime three of the medal desk on the 2030 Winter Video games.
Who have been the standout Russian stars in Beijing?
Russia’s predominant man on the Beijing Video games was undoubtedly cross-country skier Alexander Bolshunov. The 25-year-old grew to become his nation’s most embellished Olympic skier ever as he amassed a private haul of 5 medals in China, together with a hat-trick of golds within the skiathlon, 4 x 10km relay, and mass begin occasions.
Russia’s ladies’s cross-country skiers have been additionally distinctive as they stormed to gold within the 4 x 5km relay. That workforce included Natalia Nepryaeva, who left Beijing with three medals in whole, additionally scooping silver within the skiathlon and bronze within the ladies’s workforce dash.
Total, the ROC workforce gained extra cross-country medals than every other nation in Beijing, capturing 11 in whole – three greater than powerhouses Norway.
Determine skating was additionally wealthy vein of success for the Russian workforce in Beijing, the place they captured a table-topping six medals in all. That included gold within the workforce occasion after a spellbinding efficiency from 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, though the medal ceremony was not held because of the saga which later unfolded surrounding a doping pattern from December.
Russian sensation Anna Shcherbakova, 17, gained gold within the ladies’s particular person determine skating occasion, with fellow teenager Alexandra Trusova incomes silver with a history-making efficiency. Russian duets gained silver and bronze medals within the pairs occasion, in addition to a silver within the ice dance competitors.
Was there any surprising Russian success?
Maybe the largest shock for the Russian workforce in Beijing was a first-ever medal within the ski leap. Capitalizing on outfit points which noticed a number of rivals undergo disqualifications, the ROC gained silver within the blended workforce occasion. Previous to that, no Russian had gained a ski leap medal of any sort since Vladimir Belousov claimed gold manner again in 1968 when representing the Soviet Union.
US-born snowboarder Vic Wild – who grew to become a Russian hero on the Sochi 2014 Video games with two gold medals – gained an emotional and surprising bronze within the parallel big slalom in Beijing, signaling afterwards that he might name time on his exceptional profession.
Which moments have been significantly poignant?
Whereas snowboarder Wild was moved after his incomes his bronze, elsewhere there have been touching scenes as ski cross contender Sergey Ridzik gained the identical shade medal earlier than breaking down in entrance of the cameras as he apologized to his spouse for lacking the delivery of their daughter to be in Beijing.
Russian biathlete Irina Kazakevich helped the workforce to silver within the ladies’s 4 x 6km relay, earlier than revealing that her father had sadly been buried the identical day after a long-running battle with most cancers.
The hug between between Russian freestyle skier Ilya Burov and Ukrainian competitor Oleksandr Abramenko throughout their occasion was additionally held up by IOC boss Thomas Bach as a second which captured the Olympic spirit.
There was a barely completely different outburst of emotion within the velocity skating, the place Russia’s Daniil Aldoshkin apologized after making a double middle-finger gesture following victory over the US workforce within the semifinals. “I did not imply something like that. I’m sorry if this offended anybody ,” stated Aldoshkin because the workforce gained silver.
Which Russian stars suffered disappointment?
As all the time, outcomes are a matter of perspective.
Russia’s males’s hockey workforce have been unable to retain their Olympic title, falling within the remaining in opposition to Finland on Sunday. Some defended that as an honest efficiency, whereas others accused the workforce of not being attack-minded sufficient in a event the place NHL stars have been once more absent.
In biathlon, there was agony within the males’s 4 x 7.5km relay when the Russian workforce appeared nailed-on for gold heading into the ultimate lap, just for Eduard Latypov to undergo some errant capturing which meant the workforce completed third. Latypov nonetheless left Beijing with a hat-trick of bronzes, bagging medals within the blended relay and particular person pursuit.
Though ladies’s cross-country star Nepryaeva earned relay gold, particular person silver and workforce dash bronze, she endured agony within the 10km traditional, lacking out on a medal by simply 0.1 seconds and collapsing in despair on the end line.
Within the ladies’s freestyle snowboarding, there was controversy as Russia’s Anastasia Tatalina completed fourth, accusing the judges of underscoring some elements of her run. Tatalina was backed in these claims by Russian Freestyle Federation president Alexei Kurashov, who stated the skier “ought to have been among the many medalists” and that they have been upset.
What in regards to the Kamila Valieva scandal?
Undoubtedly probably the most unedifying side of the ROC’s workforce’s Beijing Video games was the drama involving teenage determine skater Kamila Valieva.
Having helped the ROC to gold with a starring position within the workforce occasion, the 15-year-old was sturdy favourite for the title within the ladies’s particular person title earlier than information emerged of her constructive end result from a pattern taken in December. Though Valieva was cleared to compete within the singles occasion, the ordeal clearly took a toll as she fell a number of instances in her free skate routine.
The saga has been utilized by critics as ammunition for extra allegations of Russian doping. In response, Russian officers have identified that Valieva didn’t take a look at constructive on the Video games and returned repeated unfavourable outcomes earlier than and after the pattern in query. Considerations have additionally been raised as to why the end result took greater than six weeks to be reported – which has led to the Russian Anti-Doping Company (RUSADA) and World Anti-Doping Company (WADA) buying and selling blows.
The investigation will proceed as officers from RUSADA and WADA each look into Valieva’s entourage, together with coach Eteri Tutberidze, who was publicly criticized by IOC president Thomas Bach in remarks which angered many in Russia.
There have been additionally clashes over the choice by the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to clear Valieva to proceed to compete in Beijing. The case has brought on potential rifts between RUSADA and WADA as Russia seeks to be declared compliant once more with the WADA Code.
Nevertheless, contemplating that RUSADA was the authority which examined Valieva within the first place, it could possibly be held up as proof that Russian officers are totally performing their duties. The case can be removed from resolved, with Valieva’s B Pattern not being opened, nor the total circumstances of the constructive take a look at being clear. It’s going to seemingly drag on within the coming weeks and months.
What has the response been in Russia to the Beijing Video games?
Understandably, Valieva’s state of affairs has dominated the headlines. She has been provided overwhelming assist by officers, fellow sports activities stars and followers. Many see her therapy as unacceptable, not least due to her age. {The teenager} was greeted with a hero’s welcome upon her return to Moscow on Friday.
Extra broadly, the ROC workforce’s efficiency has been met with optimism by Russian officers.
“The previous Olympics have allowed us to attract conclusions on which points to place extra emphasis on,” stated Russian Sports activities Minister Oleg Matytsin. “Naturally, that is the coaching of the teaching employees and the growth of the fabric base for athletes. Additionally an vital issue is the psychological preparation of athletes, since psychology makes an enormous contribution to their victory in competitions.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated: “Effectively carried out to our Olympians, everybody gave their greatest… In fact, all of us need all of the medals on the Olympics to be ours, however that is unattainable.
“Somebody was stronger than our athletes, and we rejoice each for our victories and for the victories of our rivals.”
Will these be the final Olympic Video games with out the Russian flag and anthem?
The continuing WADA ban meant the Russian workforce in Beijing have been once more impartial and competed with out their nation’s flag or anthem. As an alternative, we noticed athletes seem underneath the ROC banner whereas Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto was performed at medal ceremonies the place Russian stars gained gold.
Russia’s two-year WADA ban is because of expire on December 16 of this yr, that means that on the subsequent Olympic Video games in 2024 in Paris, the Russian tricolor and anthem ought to – in concept – make a welcome return.
Nevertheless, WADA president Witold Banka warned forward of the Beijing Video games that the reinstatement of RUSADA shouldn’t be taken as a right. Some will inevitably try to make use of the saga with Kamila Valieva as proof that Russia shouldn’t be declared compliant by WADA.
In Russia’s protection, Valieva’s case is way from resolved and is a state of affairs involving a person pattern taken again in December. Russian athletes have been among the many most examined main into the Beijing Olympics, and none returned constructive checks on the Video games.
As fashionable because the ROC banner is – with its white, blue and pink colours within the type of a flame above the Olympic rings – Russian stars will hope that Beijing is the final version of the Video games the place they might want to use it.