Russia's "corporate focus on winter sports will be on display" at the Sochi Games, according to Courtney Weaver of the FINANCIAL TIMES. It "marks a departure from the Soviet days when the state controlled all aspects of sport and viewed the Olympics, in particular, as a vital cold war battleground." Across the board, businesses say they are "supporting the home team of their own patriotic accord." Left unsaid is that their efforts might also score points with Russian President Vladimir Putin, "who is determined to restore the country's greatness." For the moment, Russia will "have to make do with a 'lost generation' of athletes" who did not have access to "proper facilities and training" during Russia's "turbulent" '90s, and struggle to compete at the int'l level. Maria Baydina, a sports journalist who works for the Russian Biathlon Union, said, "We are now living through a period where the older generation of athletes has already retired but a new, stable generation hasn’t yet arrived." At the Sochi Games, Russia has "few illusions that it will return to the glory days of 1994 in Lillehammer when it placed first overall in the medal count." But it is "equally hoping to avoid the humiliation of 2010 when it finished 11th with just three gold medals -- the worst winter Olympic performance of all time for Russia or the Soviet Union." Russian officials are "eagerly looking ahead to the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang in South Korea, when they believe the country's new sports infrastructure and training programmes will finally start to bear fruit." Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said, "As a result of having the Winter Olympics in Sochi, we are receiving a great foundation of infrastructure. By 2018, we will look completely different. We’ll return to being leaders in winter sports and competitive on a regular basis" (FT, 2/7).
