Russian national athletics head coach presents his Olympic preparations program to Mutko
MOSCOW. Nov 19 (Interfax) - Head coach of the Russian track-and-field athletics team Yuri Borzakovsky revealed that he had discussed current issues related to the Russian athletes' preparations for future competitions at his meeting with Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko.
"I have presented a draft program for the oncoming winter [that states] how we must spend the contest season so that the athletes in the national team keep their competition form in terms of their preparations for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro," Yuri Borzakovsky said in an interview with the press service of the Sports Ministry.
"The Ministry offers us its comprehensive support and we resolve all issues in interaction with it. We hope that our athletes will compete in the Olympics in Rio and will be defending Russia's honor with dignity," he said.
Mutko drew the attention of the head coach to the need for stronger oversight of the athletes' training and coaches' work, the report said.
Meanwhile, Mutko reassured that the Sports Ministry is ready to provide its organizational and financial support to the events included additionally in the calendar plan of athletics competitions in Russia after Russians were banned from international track-and-field events held under the aegis of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
Mutko is planning to shortly hold a meeting with members of the Russian national track-and-field team in order to discuss current organizational issues.