In his words, the size of the award has not been defined yet.
"I would like to allocate a big sum of money with the help of sponsors for Olympic champions who will set world records. I guess the one who will win the gold medal and set a world record will get $100,000," Mr. Tyagachev said.
According to the Russian government instruction, champions and prize winners of the Olympic Games in Athens will be paid $50,000, $20,000 and $10,000 for gold, silver and bronze correspondingly.
Four times Olympic champion in swimming Alexander Popov is likely to carry the Russian banner at the ceremony of opening the Olympic Games in Athens on August 13.
"We will arrive in Athens on August 10 and see on what days our Olympic champions will perform," Mr. Tyagachev said. "If the wishes of the coach, doctor and Popov himself coincide, this sportsman is likely to carry the banner."
The Olympic Committee president also said that the name of the sportsman who will carry the banner at the opening ceremony will be finally known on August 11.
"If not Popov carries the banner, I'm sure it will be a well known sportsman or sportswoman too," Mr. Tyagachev said.
Mr. Tyagachev commented on the Russian position in regard to doping. "The sportsman, coach and sports federation president will bear responsibility if a doping check in Athens shows that a sportsman used prohibited substances," he said. "We have such a tough attitude for the first time."
In Mr. Tyagachev's words, "if the International Olympic Committee [IOC] takes the decision to disqualify a sportsman, for example, for two years, the ROC will consider disqualification up to one for a lifetime."
The Russian Olympic Committee president intends to restore the main Olympic training bases of Russia by the 2008 Olympic Games.
He expressed the hope that soon "the state will allocate additional funds on Olympic facilities," which will help to put the main Olympic training bases in order.
The Russian Olympic Committee is going to shoot a film about the Olympic Games in Athens.
