Vitaly Mutko urged to consider the lessons of the London Olympics in preparation for Sochi

Russian Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko, summing up the London Olympics, called on all its participants to consider the experience of its organization in preparation for the Winter Olympics in Sochi and to learn to use the "home factor." In his opinion, sport should unite the nation, and an athlete is worthy of respect, regardless of whether he wins or loses, according to RIA Novosti.

 The sports minister asked everyone to feel better about the athletes, regardless of the result of their performances. "Our athletes are not aliens. They represent Russia. The guys do not communicate with the press because they do not know what the reaction to their performance will be. <…> We need to support Olympians throughout the country. I am ready to read criticism about myself. But I really want to make a difference, when an athlete is not yet at the start, and he already fears a future of criticism," he said.

 The head of the sports ministry also offered to work with fans and organize trips to the stadiums for those who wish to support our athletes. As a positive example, the minister mentioned the Federation of rhythmic gymnastics, which brought to London over a hundred fans. And at the magical volleyball final, which will go down in the history of world sport, a lot of our Olympians were in the hall. Their support really helped the Russian team.

Mutko also suggested using the experience of the Olympics in other sporting events. "Once I came to a stadium to watch the match. The Russian team played. But there were few spectators, and the difference in the organization of the work with fans, compared to London, is obvious," the Minister of Sport said.