31 january, 2012 15:13
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin congratulates Yevgeny Plyushchenko on his victory at the 2012 European Figure Skating Championships

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin congratulates Yevgeny Plyushchenko on his victory at the 2012 European Figure Skating Championships

The message reads, in part:
"You brilliantly completed the long programme, and you have once again confidently made it to the top of the European pedestal. I know that this has been very difficult for you, that you have had to overcome many obstacles. But this makes the gold medal that you won after such a difficult struggle all the more valuable and precious. In Sheffield, you once again proved that luck always favours the most talented and most determined athletes with the strongest spirit."