President Dmitry Medvedev's possible visit to Vancouver for the closing ceremony looked unlikely Friday after the Russian team widely fell short of expectations.
Russia's honorary consul in Vancouver, Alexander Bardin, was quoted in the Toronto Star as saying Thursday that Medvedev might show up for the closing ceremony Sunday.
He had been expected to arrive by Friday or Saturday but delayed the visit after the defeat of the Russian hockey team, Bardin said, the newspaper reported.
The Russian men's hockey team was routed by Canada 7-3 on Wednesday night in their first Olympic defeat to Canada in more than 50 years.
“I don’t know if he’s angry exactly, but I think like most everyone, the mood is bad, very bad,” Bardin said.
Later Thursday, Bardin told CBC News that he was unsure about Medvedev's plans.
Dmitry Chernyshenko, head of the organizing committee for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, told reporters Friday that Medvedev was not expected to make the trip.
"Deputy Prime Ministers Dmitry Kozak and Alexander Zhukov are here. … I don't know anything about plans of other officials," Chernyshenko said, Interfax reported.
Kozak is overseeing preparations for the Sochi Olympics, while Zhukov oversees sports in the government.
A Kremlin spokesman told The Moscow Times on Friday afternoon that there was "no information" about the president's possible visit.
Although Russia is hosting the next Winter Games, protocol does not require the head of the state hosting the next games to attend the closing ceremony, Chernyshenko said.
Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov will receive the Olympic flag at the end of the ceremony, he said.
In 2006, then-President Vladimir Putin was planning to visit the Winter Olympics in Turin if the hockey team reached the final. But the team failed and Putin canceled the visit, skipping the closing ceremony as well.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.