The urge to purge
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In many nations, failure at international sporting events is followed by public calls for the coach or manager to get the sack. But in Russia, the president is demanding that senior sports officials' heads roll, following a disappointing performance at the Winter Olympics.
"The Red Machine crashes into the Maple Tree" and "Nightmare in Vancouver" were just two headlines of many negative articles in the Russian press after Team Russia failed to live up to expectations at the Winter Games.
The usually strong national side finished with just three golds, languishing in sixth in the overall medal table. The final humiliation came when the Russia was defeated 3-7 by Canada in the ice hockey quarter-finals - particuarly galling as this is a sport that the Russians have dominated since the 1960s.
President Dmitriy Medvedev publicly signalled his displeasure yesterday on national television. "Those who bear responsibility for the Olympic preparations should take responsibility immediately,” he warned, striking terror in the hearts of Russia’s sportocracy. “Those responsible should take a courageous decision and submit their resignations. If they don't, we will help them," he added ominously.
After it became clear the Kremlin expects heads to roll, Sports Minister Vitaliy Mutko offered to fall on his sword - or hockey stick.
"If the statement refered to me, then I will step down without any fuss," he said after greeting the returning Olympic team at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport this morning.
Russian and Soviet politicians have a history of blowing their tops after sporting disasters. Following the Soviet Union’s loss in football at the Summer Olympic Games in 1952 to the hated Tito’s Yugoslavia, Stalin ordered the team to be disbanded and the media dared not report the defeat until one year later, after the dictator died.
