Meanwhile another Milne’s character is a perfect comparison type for the results of Russian team. This character is the Old Grey Donkey, Eeyore. He’s a great fellow, nearly a philosopher with a good deal of healthy pessimism. And his “no wonder”, “that accounts for a Good Deal” and “thanks, but I’ve had it” are complete estimations of our participation in 12 Olympic types. And these cliches may be probably used further on. But taking into account everything that has already happened during these four days, I hope we’ll find something better to say, even if we fail to win anything (spit, spit, and spit, what I’m speaking about?).

For example, let us take speed skating. It was evident that our sportsmen had no chances in getting medals. Even though at short distances we had Dorofeev and Zhurova, who, as it turned out later, managed to cope with sprint deserving our praise. But someone was afraid to register them in the contest list. Perhaps this decision was correct. Everything is easier for a dark horse. Dorofeev brilliantly proved it the day before. Though he’s not a horse as most of all he reminds a dark stallion. And not a small one.

By the way, about the small. Unfortunately I failed to watch most of the men 500-m. laps. But yesterday I was lucky to follow all 500-m. women laps. I’m eager to share my impressions, but I’ll start not exactly with the results.
I’ve never been an anti-Semite, or a Russophobe, and until the present moment I’ve considered myself to be very tolerant. But now I’m becoming dizzy because of the idea of common equality and brotherhood. When I was watching TV, it seemed to me that the Olympiad was taking place somewhere in Beijing, Seoul, or, at the worst, in Tokyo, but not in Torino. And the Games are not Olympic, but Asian with Nindza-Turtles all around. It’s good that in the nearest future I’m not intended to go to Tcherkizovsky market, otherwise no dumping prices would have saved me from the monkey-house in the nearest militia station. “On Manchuria knolls” song was endlessly turning in my noddle throughout the evening. My cheek-bones were aching because of the dreadful mistake of 1945 year, when no single Chinese suffered while the Japanese were squared with. It was surely an unpardonable bungling. And the most unfair thing is that everyone seemed to subdue. After the first lap our Svetlana Zhurova was a bit ahead of Wang of China. The advantage was very insignificant, but it existed. And the majority of journalists gave preference to that rice queen. It would have been all right, if she was the only one there. But there was a squinting dozen of them. It was evident at one sight. And it was a complete roistering. When I become a bit freer, I’ll turn to anti-doping committee. There are nearly 200 of forbidden medications in the list, but for some unknown reason no rice is mentioned. Let the rice take the first position. And all those who use it, should be mercilessly disqualified, right up to the term of life!

I’m sorry for such emotional content. But it has become really unbearable. And our Sveta is a brick. She managed to cope with all this armada, being absolutely alone, without any moral support. Moreover, she skated in one pair with this favorite and outstripped her splendidly. I don’t remember time difference, but it doesn’t matter. Roll your lips up. You’ll get fig, not the gold. The gold is ours. To be more correct, it belongs to Zhurova. It’s the fourth one.

I’ve already said everything concerning female one-man luge. It’s the case to mention “that accounts for a Good Deal” comment. There’s nothing to add, and my true prediction of the final result doesn’t satisfy me as it could have been easily predicted even by any Chukchee reindeer herdsman. German sportswomen have been favorites for 12 years already, and at least the same period of time is ahead. All this sounds pessimistically, doesn’t it?

After Zhurova’s medal I felt that even I began to expect more gold from our sportsmen and wished they could overtake Americans with gold. Do you notice what appetite comes with eating? Let’s forget about the donkey and come on, Russia! Where are humiliating faint notes of the Olympiad beginning? I wonder to my own self. I’m nearly becoming a kind of regionally committee secretary. By the end of the Olympiad I’ll very likely append instructions and locally use foul language. But my high spirits were a bit lowered by Ted Ligety from the USA mountain-ski team. Men combination took place yesterday and the downhill was won by the American Bode Miller, a well-known strong drinks-lover and generally a very gifted guy. He’s the best in the downhill, but there were worthy rivals for him in slalom. Especially taking into account that Miller skillfully cheated at the first attempt. If there were no television, he would have become the champion. The thing is that there was a bazillion of gates on the route, and Bode didn’t close one. And pretended that so it was to be. As a result he was disqualified.
I’m really sorry for this guy, but frankly speaking, such things play important role for us, as Miller was the only American in the group. His absence made me support all the rest - Brazilians, Argentineans. And this Ted Ligety emerged right from nowhere. And took the gold medal, preventing Croatia from winning it.
Taking into account my growing imperial ambitions, it was a small loss. Germans reached Russia according to informal team results. Not only luge, but biathlon passed successfully for them. It happened so with the “great support” of poor Norwegians, who can take the first place in no way for the second time. They failed to do it in yesterday sprint either. Hanevold should be using system approach, as he’s begun with the bronze medal and won silver this time. Frode Andresen lost his chances because of misses. And great Bjoerndalen missed thrice yesterday. It was absolutely unpardonable and even his accelerated slide didn’t save him.

Russian sportsmen were told by their mothers in their childhood: “If you shoot – never miss, otherwise try ballroom dances”. Ivan Tcherezov and Maxim Tchoudov followed this instruction yesterday, but unfortunately didn’t have enough physical endurance. Tcherezov is the sixth, Tchoudov - the tenth.

In the morning the skiers got one more medal. Well, they seem to start enjoying the process. The medal is bronze, but it’s worth of gold. According to the list, sportsmen were to fulfill team sprint. Nationality, sex and religion played no role. A short distance (a bit longer than half of the km.) was to be overcome thrice in a running leg. Two team members were to ski, passing the baton to one another. I’ll repeat that it all was to be done thrice. Both men and women got into the final. But only due to the fact, that they took part in semi-finals. Generally they overcame short distances with frequent intervals, right up to bluing in the face.
Our girls did their utmost, but at the moment they can’t ski at their full potential. That’s why they couldn’t get higher than the sixth position. Meanwhile Vasily Rochev and Ivan Alypov frayed Scandinavian nerves, rather successfully, by the way. Only the final spurt became a failure. Not too bad, we’ll forge tomorrow. I can only congratulate Swedish team, which suddenly became lucky, getting two gold medals. I’m a bit envious, so quickly and ably they did it. But this time it’s a positive envy, as it was not China that won.

According to the schedule this day is not very promising for us. If it is promising at all. That’s why let’s fix the results of four days:

The USA: gold - 5, silver -2, bronze – 0.
Russia: gold - 4, silver - 3, bronze – 2.
Germany: gold - 4, silver - 1, bronze – 2.

Hasta la vista. Savar.

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