Chairman of the Russian State Sports Committee (Goskomsport) Vyacheslav Fetisov and Chairman of the Russian National Olympic Committee Leonid Tyagachev take part in the parliamentary hearing of State Duma committee for physical culture and sports.
Photo: Alexey Kudenko
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Olympic Election
// Today Olympic Committee of Russia will chose between Irina Rodnina and Leonid Tyagachev
Today there will be session of Olympic Assembly, after which it will be known who is going to head Olympic Committee of Russia (OCR) for next four years. In reality, the Assembly delegates would face much tougher decision than just selection of one out of two favorites for presidential position – current head of OCR Leonid Tyagachev and Chairman of All-Russian Voluntary Society “Sporting Russia” Irina Rodnina. It would be a choice between keeping previous system of control over the Russian sport or its radical reforming. In second case, the OCR will become a part of hard vertical system of sports authorities. And it wouldn’t be the main part either.
Formally, among nine people there will be only two real contenders for the President of Olympic Committee of Russia office – current head of OCR Leonid Tyagachev and Chairman of All-Russian Voluntary Society “Sporting Russia” Irina Rodnina. These two favorites in presidential race represent two absolutely different management ways of Russian sport.
After dismantling of USSR, the OCR acquired much larger meaning than majority of foreign Olympic committees. In reality, for more than last ten years Russian Olympic Committee and sports federations (which established the OCR) were playing role of the principle link in the management chain of Russian sports. These links were absolutely independent from everybody – including state sport agency. Their independence was supported by the special laws “About public organizations…”, “About sport…” and by Olympic Chapter. Leonid Tyagachev pointed out many times that he dose not see the reason to change effective, in his opinion, system.
Irina Rodnina has absolutely different view, which coincides with the position of the head of Russian State Sports Agency (Rossport) Vyacheslav Fetisov. According to his concept, the priority in this chain has to be given to the state organ, which finances the sports. Fetisov thinks that OCR should become a part of this structure and mostly with representation functions.
Financial argument in the hands of Rodnina and her allies is a powerful tool. Because even with recently signed sponsor’s contract with Fedcom Media, whole budget of the OCR for next year (about $30 million) will just slightly exceed amount provided by Federal Sports Agency for preparation on Winter Olympics in Turin (430 million rubles and $8.3 million).
Tyagachev looks at the members of Olympic Assembly with optimism: from 321 votes 167 belong to representatives from various sports federation. Among them, there are some supporters of Fetisov and Rodnina position, but vast majority would doubtfully want to lose their influence as a result of reforms. There are only individuals and territorial organizations left, which are traditionally more close to the central powers. However, their voices might not be enough to help Rodnina. All she can hope for is that federations, which got used to their autonomy, will recognize situation in Russian sports as the critical one, and will agree to be controlled by the state.
Alexei Dospekhov
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 22, 2005
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