Kommersant: Vladimir Putin rides a bobsled
Yesterday Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the Paramonovo training centre in the Moscow Region that will host a European tobogganing championship and tried the sport himself. He tried a bobsled because the luge is too dangerous for amateurs. Recognised Master of Sports, Alexei Shadeyev, was the pilot and Putin a pusher. The first attempt was a success and Putin said he loved it.
In Paramonovo, the Russian team presented Putin with a sled. In response he signed their helmets. He also spoke to Senior Coach Martin Halebrant in German. Halebrant told Putin that the track meets the highest standards and lamented that his compatriots are still the best in tobogganing. He promised, though, to turn the Russian team into champions.
Yesterday Putin was interested in another bobsleigh track – the one that will host the 2014 Winter Olympic competitions in Sochi. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak assured Putin that it would be ready as scheduled – by March 1.
Arnold Kabanov
