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President Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, dear friends,

I am happy to see you here in the Kremlin and to have this opportunity to congratulate you personally on your achievements at the XX Winter Olympics.

People were giving various assessments of the Russian team’s chances before the Olympics got underway, but right from the start it was clear that our team was well prepared and had its sights set on the highest possible results.

Through fair and honest competition you have won 22 Olympic medals, including 8 gold medals. You have practically doubled Russia’s medal count compared to the last Winter Olympics in 2002. This success has reaffirmed Russia’s status as a sporting power. Furthermore, Russia’s athletes have performed strongly not only in the events traditional for our country, but are also proving themselves ever-stronger in new disciplines and are achieving good results.

I particularly want to note the outstanding performance by our figure skaters. Our country has always been known for its figure skating school. But winning three Olympic gold medals of the four possible and taking medals in all categories is genuinely a sensational result and a very happy sensation for us all indeed.

In other Olympic events too our athletes have made a real breakthrough. For the first time Russia has won a medal in the freestyle event. After a brief interlude, our athletes have also won silver medals in the sledding and bob sleigh events. Russia is again affirming its positions in speed skating.

I address my warmest words of thanks to the trainers and to everyone who helped our Olympic athletes achieve victory. We all know that quality training and competently selected tactics are half the recipe for success. The high medal count and the emergence of young talent in our team are both the great service of the trainers.

Top-level sport always involves dozens, hundreds, of nuances. Of course, there is always a bit of luck in any sporting victory, sometimes quite a noticeable bit of luck, and sometimes luck is not on the side of even famous athletes and smiles instead on newcomers.

I would also like to take this opportunity today to thank the athletes prevented by injury or by other circumstances from demonstrating the full measure of their talent. They remain nonetheless recognised and beloved heroes for their millions of supporters in Russia. I note that many of our athletes were really just a step away from an Olympic medal and this shows very convincingly that we have good Olympic potential to draw on.

The state is actively supporting sports today. We will continue to increase financial support for physical education and for children’s and young people’s sport. Our country has always set an example in this area and we will strive not only to reach the level of our past achievements but to go yet further, with the help of the state, the help of the public and the help of the business community, which has been working quite actively in this direction of late.

Dear friends,

Your lives and your sporting achievements are an example for millions of people in our country and I wish to congratulate you once again on your excellent Olympic results.

I thank all of Russia’s Olympic athletes for their skill, strength of will and determination to win, and for the feelings of joy and pride that they have given millions of our fellow citizens.

As I said, the public and the state will continue to give attention to sports and to the Olympic movement. This also goes for the business community. I would like to inform you that business representatives, as you know, helped in the preparations for these Olympic Games and now that the games are over and the results are known, they have asked me to tell you that they are ready, voluntarily, to offer their own reward to the Olympic winners. Considering that you practice winter sports and have to travel to your training sessions, we have decided – although our Japanese friends and colleagues have not yet begun producing their cars in St Petersburg yet – but we have decided together with the business community representatives that all men who won medals at the XX Winter Olympics will receive a Toyota Landcruiser, and all the women medallists will receive a Lexus. All the trainers will receive a premium in roubles equivalent to $25,000.

I congratulate all of you from the bottom of my heart and I address my special congratulations to the women among you, as we are about to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. I wish you all the very best.

Thank you for your attention.