Once-Powerful Russia Behind in Gold Medal Race

The Associated Press

Published: August 8, 2012 (Issue # 1721)

DANIEL OCHOA DE OLZA / AP Russia’s Yulia Zaripova leads the way to the finish in the women’s 300-meter steeplechase. She won gold in the event Monday.

LONDON — After a miserable first week in the gold medal stakes, traditional powerhouse Russia is showing signs of a revival, though not enough to avoid its lowest Summer Olympic finish in 60 years.

While some of Russia’s strongest events are still to come, the team is set to wind up outside the top three in golds for the first time since the Soviet Union began competing at the games in 1952.

It’s a worrying sign for a country that will host the next Olympics, the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, and follows Russia’s worst-ever performance at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

“Sure, we would like to have more gold medals,” Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov told RIA-Novosti. “But this is sports, and in many sport events we just lack a bit of luck and good fortune.”

After lagging in 10th for total gold medals won in London, behind even North Korea and former Soviet republic Kazakhstan, Russia started to come to life this week, picking up four gold medals to move into fifth place.

China and the United States are 1-2 in golds with 34 and 30, respectively, and host Britain third with 22 as of Tuesday evening when this paper went to press.

Despite the shortage of gold, the Russians have been racking up other medals — 17 silver and 19 bronze for an overall count of 44. They have moved just behind Britain into fourth place in total medals.

Russia’s recent decline has coincided with China’s rise as an Olympic superpower and continued dominance by the United States.

The Russian daily Sports Express said in a front-page commentary Monday that Russian sports were “frozen” between the Chinese and American systems. It blamed a shortage of state funding and lack of oversight and control over national sports federations.

“It’s very far from China, where the watchful Communist Party is eyeing the selection process starting from the kindergarten stage, builds giant sports arenas and finances powerful medical research — and harshly demands results,” the paper said.

“We must admit that we stand even further from the American model, and the distance keeps growing. Because it would be deadly if we ended state involvement in sports as they did. Sports industries that will feed themselves are simply absent in our country,” the paper said.

There’s room for Russia to bring home plenty more in the final days of the games, which end Sunday. Russia has good medal chances in wrestling, synchronized swimming, gymnastics and boxing, among others.

“Historically, we win 80 percent of our gold medals in the last five days,” Mikhail Kusnirovich, deputy head of the Russian team, said. “If we finish with 20 gold medals, it would be great.”

Barring an amazing set of circumstances, Russia will not be able to catch Team GB in the gold medal race. The hosts have strong contenders ahead in track cycling, boxing, equestrian, sailing and track and field.

Russia finished third in both medal counts at the past two summer Olympics and had been widely predicted to do the same in London. Before that, the Soviet Union or Russia had always been first or second going back to the 1952 Games in Helsinki.

Monday’s competition lifted Russia’s mood when gymnast Aliya Mustafina took gold in the uneven bars.

“Here it is, the long-awaited gold in gymnastics! I congratulate Aliya, and all the team and the gymnastics federation from the bottom of my heart!” Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said, according to the Itar-Tass agency.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev also sent congratulations, saying her “great achievement has brought a great joy to our fans and proved to the world that Russia holds an honorable place among the leaders in gymnastics.”

A few hours later, Alan Khugaev won a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling and Yuliya Zaripova captured the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Tuesday afternoon, Russia continued its streak for gold when Natalya Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina took first in the women’s duets for synchronized swimming.