Britain’s Olympians did not have an unfair advantage at the Olympics and there was no “egregious” judging, the head of the Russian Olympic Committee said Wednesday.
Alexander Zhukov’s comments followed statements Saturday by Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko in which he suggested that British competitors benefited from “political pressure” and that unfair judging had hurt Russia’s chances.
“They didn’t allow three of our boxers into the final,” Mutko said, later suggesting that Kazakhstan’s successful weightlifters might have broken doping rules.
Zhukov said that, while he disagreed with judges’ decision in some sports, he was satisfied that the process had been fair.
“I can say that there was no egregious judging,” he said.
Britain’s strong showing at the Olympics, with 29 gold medals, was a typical example of home advantage rather than anything more sinister, Zhukov said.
“The hosts always have an advantage. That’s both due to the support in the hall and other factors.”
Russia finished fourth in the official medals table with 24 gold medals and 82 medals overall.
