The Associated Press
Russia's Valeri Bure (right) is slammed into the boards by Adam Deadmarsh of the United States during the men's semifinal hockey match. The U.S. team won 3-2 and will meet Canada in the finals.

Discord stirs Cold War memories

Russia, S. Korea angry over Olympics

TIM DAHLBERG, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Originally published Saturday, February 23, 2002

SALT LAKE CITY -- An Olympics that began with countries marching together in harmony is sputtering to an end with Russia seething, South Korea unhappy and the United States wondering what the fuss is all about.

Controversy escalated to a new level Friday, with Russia demanding a gold medal for figure skater Irina Slutskaya and warning that its hockey players had better be treated fairly in a crucial game against the United States.

Indignation spread to the Kremlin, where President Vladimir Putin suggested Americans were doing so well in the Games because they had the judges on their side. "North American athletes receive a clear advantage," Putin said.

But later in the day, the Russians announced that they would continue competing.

"We will stay at the games," said Guennadi Shvets, a Russian delegation spokesman. He said the decision was made before a meeting between high-level Russian officials and IOC President Jacques Rogge.

"Everybody understood we had to stay," Shvets said.

International Olympic Committee director general Francois Carrard said Russian and Korean concerns would be presented to the IOC executive board today, but that any action would be taken after the Olympics.

"We do not expect any changes in the results," Carrard said.

Though Russian officials were somewhat placated by the IOC, the country's hockey coach was fuming after Russia lost 3-2 to the United States in a semifinal hockey game.

"There's not much you can do about it right now," said coach Slava Festisov. "An agreement's been signed that is designed to have a final between Canada and the USA. You have this final, you have NHL referees. ... They live here, and they know the North American players."

Complaints aplenty

South Korea was upset over a referee's ruling that cost one of its speedskaters a gold medal that went to Seattle's Apolo Anton Ohno. The Koreans, though, backed off earlier threats to boycott the closing ceremony and sue.

"The IOC should have more control as far as the Olympic Games are concerned," said Kim Un-yong, IOC member from South Korea. "This hurts the IOC; it hurts the Olympic Games."

It was the Russians who had the most complaints, and they weren't hesitant to voice them loudly. If nothing else, they figure they have precedent on their side.

The Canadians used the same tactic to whip up public frenzy to get their pairs figure skating team an unprecedented duplicate gold medal.

"Canadian pairs skaters were awarded their gold medals. Now that subjective judging harmed us, we want the same for Slutskaya," said Viktor Mamotov, head of the Russian delegation in Salt Lake City.

The Russians, however, had problems getting others to see the connection. International Skating Union officials were among them, denying the figure skating protest.

Russian threat

It wasn't just the Russians' protests that had Olympic officials scurrying to pacify them Friday with condolences and promises that they would be treated fairly. It was the tone that was surprising.

Though Putin later said the team would stay, the Russians first threatened to pull out of the games and said they also might not attend the Summer Olympics in Athens two years from now.

"Without Russia, the Olympic Games will be lost," said Vitaly Smirnov, an IOC vice president from Russia.

The women's figure skating concluded on a day when a Russian cross-country skiing favorite was disqualified following a blood test, and the Russians alleged that Olympic hockey officials were biased against them.

Some of the complaints may have been borne of frustration. Through Friday, Russia -- a traditional winter sports power -- was in fifth place in the overall medal standings with 14 medals.

At the same time, the United States was enjoying its best Olympics ever by far, with 30 medals.

Top Olympic officials met with the Russian delegation, with Rogge sending Putin a letter assuring him that the games were fair and his nation's anger understood.

In Russia, though, the words rang hollow. State-controlled ORT television had planned live coverage of Thursday's cross-country race, but after Larissa Lazutina was disqualified, the station cut the broadcast off in midrace in protest.

Renowned Russian film director Nikita Mikhalkov told the network that this year's Olympics were "a continuation of the Cold War."

"Perhaps it is caused by fear among the American people after the horrible day of Sept. 11 or fear that we (Russians) now have hope of climbing out of the hole we have fallen into and could be dangerous, so they have to humiliate us," he said.

RESULTS

The U.S. men's hockey team advances to Sunday's gold medal game by beating Russia 3-2. Canada routed Belarus, 7-1, in the other semifinal game.

TODAY

Seattle native Apolo Anton Ohno, already with a gold and a silver, takes his shot at two more medals in the unpredictable sport of short track speedskating.

TV BEST BETS

Short track speedskating, men's hockey and the four-man bobsled. CBUT, 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.; NBC, 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

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