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Zhukov considers start of Russian Olympic team successful

Russia has never won the gold medal in judo before, and the gold medal in the men’s 60kg judo competition was not won even in the Soviet times, Zhukov said

LONDON, July 30 (Itar-Tass) —— President of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov considers the start of the Russian national team at the Summer Olympics in London successful.

“I believe that the first day was very successful for us. Russia has never won the gold medal in judo before, and the gold medal in the men’s 60kg judo competition was not won even in the Soviet times. This is a very pleasant unexpected event, moreover, we know that the start of the Olympics is always difficult for our team. As in the first days there are competitions in those kinds of sports, in which we are not strong traditionally,” Zhukov said live on the Voice of Russia radio station on Monday.

Estimating the conditions of accommodation and feeding of Russian athletes in London as good, the head of the Russian Olympic Committee paid attention to major difficulties in the traffic round London on the first day of the Olympics, “It is obvious that for the British capital the Olympics is not some event, which had been talked about for years before and will be talked about for years to come. London lives its life. Although, certainly, traffic problems are very serious in the city. The cycling road race continued in the Olympic capital last weekend. The traffic is paralyzed, it is almost impossible to get anywhere. On the first day, traffic problems emerged even for the officials, who were going for the opening ceremony. Many of them went on the tube, the head of the national Olympic Committees had to go by bus, which they had been waiting for an hour and a half.”

Speaking on the organizing of the traffic at the Winter Olympics-2014 in Sochi, Zhukov said, “In Sochi we have changed drastically the infrastructure. Before the start of the competitions we are planning to build another 17-18 road interchanges. Meanwhile, we will build relief roads for the Sochi resort avenue and a byroad. We will build motorways and a railway line in the mountains. Olympic lanes will be really operational there. There are such lanes in London, but it is difficult to drive on them as on other roads.

“In Sochi the highland part is not a city at all. The coastal cluster is built beyond the boundaries of the city. I believe that we will be able to provide much better logistical services than here,” Zhukov underlined.