As it was expected, the money of American TV-companies has completed its dirty deed in the last figure skating discipline. If Irina Slutskaya had won, all those renegades named “judicial team” would have had no money to pay for the hotel the next time. They would have even had to buy “the present for the first-former” for their own money in order to fill in the report. After all, these spiteful guys from CBS have already become sick of the Russian flag, constantly dangling above. Besides, they couldn’t lose the opportunity as not only Irina, but American Sasha Cohen was the main challenger. But as taken alone, Cohen was a faint hope, Japanese Shizuka Arakawa was to be used as (excuse me for such an expression) a pad between Cohen and Slutskaya. By the way, it wasn’t my personal conjecture, - every single sports reporter thought so before the start of female individuals. Generally, their theoretical suppositions were nearly true.

Actually Cohen didn’t let the judges relax. And fell down twice while completing free dance. Of course, such a baddie wasn’t expected. But they did everything possible, rising the second mark-point nearly up to the maximum, though having to lower technical merit. Now it’s clear that even perfect skating wouldn’t have saved Irina. Especially taking into account that she’s made a mistake while completing one of the jumps. Meanwhile Arakawa skated in a qualified and “spick and span” manner. By and large, in addition to all, the pad turned out to be with wings.

The fact that Slutskaya is the best figure-skater in the world, is beyond any question, just as the fact, that she’s been openly unfairly umpired the second Olympiad in a row. The principles of fair play, which Pierre de Coubertin used to dream of, have been sold wholesale and retail for a long time already. Everyone is aware of it, but it doesn’t simplify anything for Slutskaya. Even four years ago in Salt-Lake City she was fighting back the tears and whispering “bastards”, though it could become clear only if read by lips. Unfortunately, there have become no fewer bastards by present-time Torino. To be correct, the number has increased. That’s why, there’s only bronze.

If this point had been our only disappointment, I would have been not doing scribble now, but been in some ten kilometers from my home-place. The only point was that our hockey-players decided not to break Russian industrial process and not only let the Finns into the final with a generous gesture, but presented bronze to the Czechs yesterday. We, Russians, are people, who like doing things in a big way. And it’s really impossible to understand us with the help of common sense. If they treat us good, we are ready to give our last shirt. All the more, if we’ve got no gold, bronze is not a medal for us. What the hell do we need it for?

Meanwhile everything started in a darb way. To be more correct, it went on so. The Canadians were waiting us in the quarter-final. The match was to become a matter of great principle. For several times I’ve read that if we defeat Canadians, we would become champions. Moreover, the majority of handbook men staked right on the Canadian select team, which was number one favorite. As far as I understand, the good half of these guys is standing in a queue to the labor registry office now, while the second half is hastily staking on the Finns today.

But it’s not the point. Our guys went all out in the match with the fathers of hockey and enjoyed a deserved victory, scoring 2:0. It’s really a trifle that they scored only twice. It’s much more important that they missed no single puck! Nabokov was gorgeously catching everything as if he were catching apples. I even had an idea either of asking for Sunday compensatory leave, or falling ill suddenly.

But the music didn’t last long. In two days a Finnic company happened. It was something like that of the fortieth year. But than due to the zeal of Comrade Stalin the result was thoroughly veiled, and the viewers were at best imprisoned. Nowadays, according to Pozner, the time is quite different. Every our goal was translated no less than hundred times. And there were four such goals. There was nothing to be translated from our side. Only Evgeni Nabokov was pulling out, but we can’t blame him. Just as four years ago, the reasons are still not clear. Well, no, one of the reasons has been announced, but when I hear that someone didn’t have enough time to recover, I even take no interest in the person spoken about. Only Russians have no time to restore their health. If one tells you that some Li Sin Zin was the second in short-track because he hadn’t enough time to recuperate after yesterday round, don’t believe it. He’s just not Li Sin Zin, but Vanjka Lisitzin, and he was born not in Beijing, but in Rjazanovka village of the Vologodskaya Region.

In general, the hockey became a mockery for us. Well, it wasn’t the first one. But it would be good for us to learn that nearly all the livestock of Russian fellows hardly watch curling or freestyle. Mostly they watch hockey. And for many of us yesterday scumbag was alike painful hang-over. Both in literal and figurative senses.

Perhaps, it’s all over with the deplorable. We can easily change the subject. Farewell to “Proshanie Slavjanki” and let something like “We are the champions” play, even if it often falls short of the reality.

Our sportsmen were not the only ones to have bummers these five days. By George, it would have been really distracting if our rivals had gone on with harvest, while our last harvester had gone out of order completely. Well, we didn’t manage to tear the assertive Germans from the gold vein. Speaking about the rest, the world community met our wishes, and the Olympiad ending stopped to be so predictable and dull.

For example, it turned out, that Americans are good at snowboard only in the limits of one separately taken pipe. To be more correct, of its half. The lack of clear-cut border and a wide mountain view scares them completely. There’s nothing to grasp with your hands. There’s no snow to be seen. Moreover, the snow is real. They’ve got completely stunned. But at the same time Swisses recalled that they live on one mountain with Austrians. Besides it’s impossible to distinguish them from one another visually. Meanwhile only Austria gathers all the medals in. It’s a kind of mess. Where is the justice? And for two days the watchmakers tried to obtain it, having taken two gold left in snowboard, and then in woman acrobatics freestyle. By the way, it was freestyle, in which we’ve got one more bronze due to the pains of Vladimir Lebedev. Surely it’s a kickshaw, but a very pleasant one.

It’s no less pleasant that unlike in figure skating, stop-watch (and not the cranks with a whistle or a pistol) is to judge nearly everything in skating competitions. Otherwise neither Italian Enrico Fabris, nor Holland Bob de Jong would have ever got any gold medals in 1500- and 10000 meter-distance correspondingly. Because Americans were their rivals. The judges found no pretext for some idiotic disqualification (for example for the wrong track change). And no one can argue with seconds. Beside technique taken together with presentation is of no creepy importance there. And thank God it is so.

Generally, the abrupt lag in team medal results between the first group of four leaders and all the rest was finally reduced nearly in the best possible way by the Canadian team (7 gold medals), the Korean team (6 gold medals; as you understand, nearly all of them were won in short-track), the Sweden team (also 6), the team of Switzerland (5) and the Italian team (4).
But what about us?

Our sportsmen went on doing everything they could and even managed to surprise us. Especially taking into account that everything except figure-skating, biathlon and perhaps, bobsleigh, could be easily considered a surprise at this Olympiad.

Right in those skies, where our modest hopes were mainly connected with Julia Chepalova, but where we’ve got Dementiev’s gold, Medvedeva’s bronze, the second gold in the woman relay-race, and bronze in the man team sprint, Alena Sidko distinguished herself on February, 22. She did it also in sprint, but woman one. And brought one more bronze to Russia. The next day Chepalova made her presence felt, having given way only to Neumannova of Czechia on 30-km distance. I’m completely sure in one thing - none would ever have thought our male and female skiers would dare do such a thing.

I trusted biathlonists more, but they aren’t magicians either. Nevertheless they managed to work a wonder. Our guys fought like lions in the relay-race. And only the splendid team of Germany outstripped them. Mind that the member of this team, Michael Greis, became the Olympic champion thrice, having also won mass-start. And just think of the rest! Meanwhile our girls could stop German armored troop carrier. Really! I can recall no single situation when we spared only two extra cartridges at four laps. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when the German team bowed before our beauties while leaving the pedestal. I wanted to suggest this idea to Germans, but they surmised themselves.

By the way, Norwegians couldn’t take any gold either in skies, or in biathlon. There’ll be enough silver and bronze (17 altogether!) for one more Brazen Rider, while there’ll be enough gold only for a hair-pin for Bjoerndalen’s bride. I hope that humanitarian-aid convoy has already reached Norwegian shores.

Alexander Zubkov’s crew put a final end yesterday. These marvelous guys won the first Olympic medal in the history of Russian bobsleigh. Let it be not gold, but it doesn’t become less bright because of it. Our team couldn’t outstrip Andrew Lange. But at the same time all the rest can eat their hearts out. And I’m sure they’ll continue doing it from this time onward; together with Lange, I’m sure. I think Guberniev will support me.

Well, nearly everything is over. I’ll be not ashamed while watching the Closing ceremony. We’ve stayed the fourth in the list, remaining behind American and Austrian teams because of one gold medal only. But my personal point of view is that we’re the second after Germans, as each our silver is far more precious than any gold. And we’ll surely be quits with the German team. It’ll happen in four years. In Vancouver.

P.S. Hey, guys, I’ve been completely bamboozled again! It’s so great that there exists internet, Live translations and Evgeni Dementiev! Yesterday’s Zubkov’s point turned out to be thick, but not the final one. An hour ago Dementiev took gold in the marathon. And you say it’s neither one thing nor the other:

Hasta la vista. Savar.

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