Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2010/03/03/olympic_boss/

Russian Olympic boss walks plank

Threat of Gulag evidently effective

By Lester Haines

Posted in Bootnotes, 3rd March 2010 19:15 GMT

Russia's Olympic Committee boss has walked the plank, shortly after president Dmitry Medvedev suggested that a terrible fate awaited those who refused to resign over the country's dismal Vancouver performance.

According to Russia news agencies, Leonid Tyagachyov swiftly submitted a letter of resignation in response to Medvedev's threat that if the responsible officials didn't do the decent thing, "we will help them".

Russia collected just 15 gongs in Canada, including a mere three golds. In comparison, it picked up eight golds in a roster of 22 medals in Turin in 2006, while 1994's games in Norway saw the Russian bear go home with 23 medals - 11 of them gold.

Poor old Mr Tyagachyov, 63, had been in his post since 2001, and he played an influential role in helping Russia secure the 2014 Winter Olympics, according to the BBC.

The games will be held in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, and Russia's post-purge Olympic Committee will doubtless be all too aware that this is much closer to the Gulags than Vancouver. Expect an exceptional crop of medals for Russia in four years' time. ®