Russia backs all 24 shooters to win Olympic medals

Moscow - Russian Shooting Union’s sporting director hopes that all the 24 shooters who have qualified for the Olympics are capable of winning a medal.

Igor Zolotarev told R-Sport Tuesday that hopefully Russia will put up a better show in London after their worst ever performance in the Games four years ago in Beijing.

“Every shooter in our team can win a medal at the Olympics. They all have the talent, experience of victory and enormous desire,” he said.

Zolotarev said he was sure of the team’s abilities and that there would be no surprises in London.

“I am sure that all our athletes will do their job. We know what the results will be, there are no miracles at all, especially at the Olympics.

“The preparation will be very simply based on refining details. We will have nothing special for the Olympics: not food, not physical exercises, not mud baths.”

Russia posted its worst-ever Olympic shooting result at the 2008 Games in Beijing, winning two silver and two bronze medals.

This followed the country’s best-ever result at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, when Russian shooters won three gold, four silver and three bronze medals.

–IANS/RIA Novosti

abr/vt