Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said...

Russia performed disappointingly at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Canada, winning only three gold medals, four silvers and six bronzes. President Dmitry Medvedev said Monday officials responsible for preparation of the country"s Olympic team must resign.

"I can easily resign, but I don"t know if sports will gain from it. It seems to me we"ve done everything possible," the Rossiya 24 TV channel quoted Mutko as saying.

Mutko defended Russia"s team, saying the sixth place at the Games in terms of an overall medal count was "not a failure." Earlier he said Russian skiers "won"t race faster if someone is fired."

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said February 26 that Russia"s poor performance at the Olympics must be thoroughly analyzed and rectified before the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Russia"s southern resort city of Sochi.

"This of course gives us reason for serious analysis and organizational conclusions. We need to change the situation and create the

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