Putin urges Russian Olympians to prepare for games, not get distracted by events around sport
NOVO-OGARYOVO. Jan 31 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged Russian participants in the PyeongChang Olympics to concentrate on preparing to compete and ignore what is happening around them.
"You need to concentrate on the result and on victory. Whatever happens around sport and around our athletes should not distract you," Putin said on Wednesday at a meeting with the athletes participating in the 23rd Winter Olympic Games.
"You can do it. Many of our athletes who are going now are experienced, but there also many young ones. But all of you are people who are used to fighting and know how to fight," Putin said.
He told them to pull themselves together, and recalled an old Soviet song, "Za Togo Parnya" (For That Guy).
"Always remember it, and you will succeed. All the best," the president said.