Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Friday 15 december 2017

Russia aims for Olympic hockey gold despite turmoil

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH ver in 1998. The last Olym-
AP Sports Writer pics on home ice in Sochi
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia were a disappointment,
can’t win Olympic hockey as Finland beat Russia 3-1
gold in Pyeongchang, but in the quarterfinals. The
the “Olympic Athletes from Sochi Games have come
Russia” will have a great back to haunt Russia, with
shot at the title. 31 athletes across six sports
OAR is the moniker imposed banned for doping and
by the International Olym- other sanctions from the
pic Committee as part of IOC.
Russia’s punishment across There’s no allegation of
all sports for doping at the doping by the men’s hock-
2014 Olympics in Sochi. ey team, though six wom-
That’s likely to mean neu- en’s team players were sus-
tral-colored jerseys — pended.
though Team Russia execu- The key Russian whistle-
tives are battling to keep blower, former laboratory
the traditional red — but director Grigory Rodchen-
still a roster boasting some kov, has stated in an affida-
of the best players outside vit that men’s hockey play-
the NHL. ers were not included in a
Asked if the Russians con- doping program as they
sider themselves gold med- Russia’s Sergei Kalinin, left, reacts with teammates after scoring during the Channel One Cup ice would have been harder
al favorites in South Korea, hockey match between Sweden and Russia in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. to keep track of across mul-
captain Ilya Kovalchuk Associated Press tiple clubs, and could have
said: “We always are.” oil and gas companies — domestic violence. the tournament for fitness given the game away if
The OAR name is no big has allowed it to compete Russia showed its potential reasons. they failed tests outside
deal for Kovalchuk. “Ev- financially with NHL teams Thursday with a 3-1 win over “We just tried to play sim- Russia. Not everything has
eryone knows where we’re for Russian talent. Sweden — a key Olympic ple and hard,” defense- been smoothed out just yet
from. It doesn’t matter. The Along with Kovalchuk rival — on two goals from man Sergei Andronov said. though for Russia ahead
flag is in our heart.” and Datsyuk, the Russian Sergei Kalinin in a Mos- “We’re trying to play every of Pyeongchang. The KHL
Kovalchuk and Pavel Dat- team has forward Vadim cow exhibition tournament game for a victory.” leadership has yet to con-
syuk of the Detroit Red Shipachyov, who walked game. The Russians haven’t won firm it will release players,
Wings are among the stars out on the Las Vegas Gold- Russia recorded 34 shots Olympic hockey gold since though any obstruction by
available to Russia ahead en Knights last month, and against 22 for Sweden in 1992, when an almost en- the Russia-based league
of the first Olympics since two-time Stanley Cup-win- front of a passionate home tirely Russian lineup of play- would face fierce opposi-
1994 without NHL players. ning defenseman Slava crowd, many in red shirts ers from the recently col- tion from the players and
The commercial power of Voynov, who is banned hailing the team as “Red lapsed Soviet Union com- the Russian Hockey Fed-
the Moscow-based Konti- from the NHL indefinitely af- Machine Reloaded” in peted as the Unified Team. eration leadership, which
nental Hockey League — ter pleading no contest to honor of the legendary So- Under the Team Russia includes wealthy business-
fueled by Russia’s state-run a misdemeanor charge of viet rosters. Datsyuk sat out name, its best result is sil- men close to the Kremlin.q

Putin

Continued from Page 18 convinced, I just know this Russian anthem.
is the case.” However, the IOC says
Putin also reiterated pre- Russian sports officials and the ban could be lifted in
vious claims that Russian athletes across numer- time for Russian athletes to
doping scandals are an ous sports have said they march at the closing cere-
attempt to smear the gov- will accept the IOC de- mony under their own flag,
ernment as he runs for re- mand that they compete if Russia complies with IOC
election in March, a month as “Olympic Athletes from conditions.
after the Pyeongchang Russia.” An IOC commission found
Olympics. That means they will com- no evidence that Russia’s
“The scandal is being cre- pete in neutral-colored “highest state authority”
ated ahead of the domes- uniforms under the Olym- was involved in doping,
tic political calendar,” he pic flag, with the Olympic but that sports ministry of-
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during his annual
news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. said. anthem played at medal ficials knew of the doping
Associated Press “Whatever people say, I’m ceremonies instead of the scheme.q