Russian President Blasts Sports Officials

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gestures while speaking during a meeting a meeting with leaders of the ruling United Russia party outside Moscow in Gorki on March 1, 2010. Medvedev called for officials in charge of preparing Russian athletes for the Winter Olympics to resign after the country suffered its worst-ever performance in Vancouver.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanded Monday that sports officials step down over the country's dismal performance at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Russia, a traditional winter sports powerhouse, won just 15 medals - with only three golds - in one of its worst performances. Officials said before the games that 30 medals and a top-three finish in the medal standings was the target.

Russia placed 11th for golds and sixth in the overall medal count.

In televised comments, Medvedev said if those responsible for preparing the athletes don't resign then the decision will be made for them. He did not mention anyone by name.

"Those who bear the responsibility for Olympic preparations should carry that responsibility. It's totally clear," Medvedev said. "I think that the individuals responsible, or several of them, who answer for these preparations, should take the courageous decision to hand in their notice. If we don't see such decisiveness, we will help them."

In post-Soviet history, Russia had never finished outside the top five in the medal standings and only won fewer medals once before, in 2002 at Salt Lake City. Russia was the top nation at the 1994 Lillehammer Games, garnering 23 medals - 11 of them gold.

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Vancouver Closing Ceremony

US skier Lindsay Vonn takes a picture backstage as she waits before marching during the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

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Closing Ceremony Photos

General view during the closing ceremony of the XXI Olympic Winter Games, at the BC Place in Vancouver on February 28, 2010. TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

Canadian Catherine O'Hara performs during the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO / TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA (Photo credit should read TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

Canadian singer Alanis Morissette performs during the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO / DIMITAR DILKOFF (Photo credit should read DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

Anatoly Pakhomov (R), Sochi's mayor, holds the Olympic flag as International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge (C) and Vancouver's mayor Gregor Robertson look on during the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. Sochi, in Russia, will host the XXII Olympic Winter Games in 2014. AFP PHOTO / DIMITAR DILKOFF (Photo credit should read DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (L) applauds as Gordon Campbell, the Premier of British Columbia, waves a Canadian flag during the closing ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO POOL / JIM YOUNG (Photo credit should read JIM YOUNG/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (2nd R) looks out into the stadium as Gordon Campbell (R), the Premier of British Columbia, waves a Canadian flag during the closing ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO POOL / JIM YOUNG (Photo credit should read JIM YOUNG/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

US short-track competitor Appolo Anton Ohno (L) waits backstage with compatriot skier Lindsay Vonn for marching during the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

US athletes wait before marching in the closing ceremony at the BC Place in Vancouver, on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony Photos

In nine Winter Olympics between 1956 and 1988, the Soviet Union failed to top the medal standings only twice, finishing runner-up on both occasions.

Medvedev lamented that Russia "has lost the old Soviet school ... and we haven't created our own school - despite the fact that the amount of money that is invested in sport is unprecedentedly high."

The results leave Russia particularly red-faced as it takes the torch for the next games in its Black Sea resort of Sochi in 2014.

"Without messing around, we need to start preparations for Sochi, but taking into account what happened in Vancouver, we need to completely change how we prepare our athletes," Medvedev said.

In an interview with the newspaper Vremya Novostei, sports minister Vitaly Mutko blamed several factors for the Vancouver flop. New sports such as freestyle skiing that "no one takes seriously" in Russia have allowed other countries to race ahead, he said.

Mutko also claimed luck was not on the country's side, saying in several disciplines Russia lacked "a shot here, a second or a point there," singling out Evgeni Plushenko, who took silver behind Evan Lysacek of the United States in a closely fought men's figure skating competition.

Doping bans had also deprived Russia of several leading medal contenders, he said.
Several Russian politicians have called for Mutko, who was appointed sports minister in May 2008, to step down.

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