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“There were tourists in our Turin team” – Ovechkin
Published: 19 January, 2010, 13:34
Edited: 11 February, 2010, 14:27
Alexander Ovechkin (L) and Anti-Jussi Niemi fall during the 2006 Winter Olympic ice hockey game (AFP Photo / Don Emmert)
TAGS: Sport, Scandal, Olympics, Ovechkin, Vancouver-2010, Hockey
Hockey superstar Aleksandr Ovechkin says that there is a huge difference between the Russian squads in Vancouver and Turin as some players got to the 2006 games through the old boy network.
“A strong feeling of disappointment remains after the Turin Games. I don’t want to offend anybody… but there were some unnecessary people in our Olympic team. We lacked our strongest hockey players who were needed at the Games,” the Washington Capitals forward remembered in an interview with Sovetsky Sport newspaper.
The 24-year-old says he is not blaming the Turin team manager Pavel Bure or head coach Vladimir Krikunov.
”I don't want to blame anybody, I’m just stating the facts. You have to take all the best at such tournaments, not solve personal issues instead. Unequivocally, there were undercurrents in our Turin squad. Our team in Turin had no soul. We were not united by the goal of grabbing the gold. They just wanted to promote some new players using the Olympics. It left a bad aftertaste,” he added.
Russia failed to take any medals in Turin. They were thrashed 4-0 by Finland in the semis and couldn’t do anything against the Czech Republic in the third place game.
“I had enough strength to do it. But the team didn’t have a normal microclimate in it, when everyone realizes they are sailing in the same boat. Instead, we were broken into small groups,” Alex the Gr8 said.
But the player is sure that Russia will do better in 2010.
“Now we have a completely different situation. We have a team. Everyone understands why we are going to Vancouver. The team of [coaches] Bykov and Zakharkin is a team from another planet if you compare it with the Turin squad. Everybody is treated the same. No-one is recruited into the team because of friendship ties or past achievements. If you play well – you go to the Olympics. If not – I'm sorry. And how did the players, taken to Turin due to the old boy network, felt? Perhaps they were ashamed. They had a different mindset and attitude towards the game,” 2008 world champion said.
”It is important that no tourists go to Vancouver now – only battle-worthy players, condensed as a single fist,” he added.
Russia, who has won the past two world championships, is considered to be the main favorite at February’s Vancouver Olympics along with host country Canada.
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