SOCHI, February 11. /ITAR-TASS/. Players of the Russian national ice hockey team are in good shape before the start of their Olympic marathon for medals at the 2014 Winter Games in Russia’s Sochi, the head coach of the team said on Tuesday.

“The team is in good shape,” Zinetula Bilyaletdinov said at a news conference, adding that the team’s first training session was a bit difficult since the players were tired after the flight from Russia’s Kazan, where they practiced for the Sochi Olympics.

“Today’s training session was different,” he said. “The boys felt much better and everything was all right.”

Bilyaletdinov also said that the players will possibly attend other Olympic competitions including matches of the Russian women ice hockey team.

“We cheer for the whole Russian national team,” he said. “If there is a chance to see matches of the [Russian] women ice hockey team or other competitions, we will go.”

“But as of now we are focused on our performance and there are issue, which we must discuss and solve with the players,” Bilyaletdinov added.

The Russian hockey team has been placed in Group A along with teams from Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States and will play its opening game at the Sochi Olympics against Slovenia on February 13.