SOCHI, February 23 (R-Sport) – The Russian Olympic team has exceeded all expectations by topping the medal table at the Sochi Winter Games, the country's sports minister Vitaly Mutko told R-Sport Sunday.
Following the unprecedented disappointment of coming 11th with just three gold medals four years in Vancouver, Russia achieved its best ever result in Sochi, winning 13 gold medals and 33 total.
The last victory was earned by the country's opening ceremony flagbearer Alexander Zubkov, who won his second gold of the Games in the four-man bobsled competition.
"It was a fantastic performance, great work by the coach and federation. They did everything professionally and put such a great ending," Mutko said of Zubkov's victory. “The team has exceeded the plan. The rest isn't important. I congratulate everybody.”
Ahead of the Games, Mutko said he would accept any result for Russia, while last June his ministry set a target of finishing in the top three in the medal table.
Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov said in 2012 that “we have a task to come first,” but softened his line later on, declining to set a formal medal target for the host team.
