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Russia’s curling teams lineup defined ahead of Sochi Olympics

Curling competitions at Sochi Olympics will take place from February 10 to February 21, 2014

Russia's Yekaterina Galkina (C) shouts to sweepers Anna Sidorova and Margarita Fomina (L-R) in a women's curling match against the U.S. at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics ITAR-TASS/Alexei Filippov

Russia's Yekaterina Galkina (C) shouts to sweepers Anna Sidorova and Margarita Fomina (L-R) in a women's curling match against the U.S. at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics

© ITAR-TASS/Alexei Filippov

MOSCOW, December 25. /ITAR-TASS/. The federation’s executive committee has approved the lineup of Russian male and female curling teams that will participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, head coach Yuri Shuliko told ITAR-TASS.

Aside from five curlers in the first team, each team will comprise two reserves.

The men’s team consists of Andrei Drozdov, Alexei Stukalsky, Yevgeny Arkhipov, Petr Dron and Alexander Kozyrev. Reserves are Anton Kalalb and Sergei Shlukhov.

Russia’s male curling team will take part in Olympics the first time in history. Its first notable success was achieved not long ago, in 2012m when Russia’s team came fifth at the European championship and scored a pass to World Championship. At this competition, the national team came 10th.

Russia’s female curling team comprises Anna Sidorova, Margarita Fomina, Alexandra Saitova, Yekaterina Galkina and Kira Yezekh. Reserves are Yekaterina Antonova and Victoria Moiseeva.

Veteran skip of Russia’s female team Lyudmila Privivkova was not included in the lineup: in September, she was dismissed from the team together with Victoria Moiseeva.

Russian female team already achieved solid success on the world stage. The team won the European championship twice, in 2006 and in 2012. Russian female curlers took part in Olympics three times: in 2002 (10th), in 2006 (5th) and in 2010 (9th).

Curling competitions at Sochi Olympics will take place from February 10 to February 21, 2014.

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