President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Luc Tardif assessed the chances of the Russian men’s team to win the 2022 Olympics. His words are reported by TASS.
“If the players manage to avoid cases of coronavirus infection, the Russian team will be one of the favorites,” the functionary said. He noted that the Russian team is preparing for the Olympics seriously, having stopped the season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) quite early.
Tardif also raised concerns about the strict covid protocol at the Games. According to him, such a system is not intended for professional sports. “The level of testing is really difficult and we expect cases with positive results. I hope that this will not be enough to stop the tournament, ”he shared.
On January 29, the captain of the Russian national hockey team at the Olympics became known. The 34-year-old Vadim Shipachev will lead the team on the ice. Nikita Nesterov, Sergei Andronov and Yegor Yakovlev were appointed as his assistants.
The Olympic Games will be held from 4 to 20 February. The Russian team led by Alexei Zhamnov will play against the teams of the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark in the group stage.
Source: Lenta
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