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Click on the thumbnail on left to see more pictures on On Frozen Blog
12 August 2008, №116-B(17597)
Pavel Lysenkov
Ovechkin Goes for a Walk Through Beijing
The world champion hockey hero visits the capital of the summer Olympic Games
As promised, Alexander Ovechkin flew to the Olympic Games. The best hockey player in the world had three unforgettable days in Beijing. He attended the basketball and boxing events and, of course, visited the “Russian house”, where he participated in a presentation for the Sochi games in 2014.
“Nastya, I sincerely congratulate you” says the actor Oleg Menshikov as he squats down in front of Anastasia Pozdniakova who, along with Yulia Pakhalina won silver in synchronous diving earlier today.
It is like Ovechkin is in a Mosfilm movie. He looks up with more than a little amazement at the grown up Kostik from “Pokrovsky Gates”. A little bit later he lays his head on the shoulder of Katya Guseva, star of the screen and the television series “The Brigade”. True, on screen her partner was named Sasha White, and now it is Sasha Ovechkin. This is even better.
“Good evening and welcome!” declares Swiss IIHF president René Fasel in fluent Russian at the beginning of the festivities. “I invite onto the stage the most valuable player in the NHL for last season, world champion Alexander Ovechkin!” exclaims Fasel. “With these calloused hands I hung the gold medal around his neck in Quebec in May. I am proud to be an acquaintance of this man!”
René didn’t actually speak that last phrase, but you could see it in his eyes. Sasha guaranteed the IIHF President and everyone else in attendance that the Olympics in Sochi will take their breath away.
Unfortunately, the party was spoiled by a tropical rainstorm. Holding the Olympics in Asia in the rainy season is really a bright idea. And if organizers diligently shot up thousands of anti-rain rockets into the air during the first two days, a wall of water was now gushing down on the people in revenge.
“I came to Beijing for three days” Ovechkin tells me while hiding under an umbrella. “I was able to attend the boxing and women’s basketball events. I watched our girls beat the Korean team 77- 72. I know everyone on our team. I believe that these girls will take the gold. I’m just sorry that I won’t be able to see their game against the Croatian team. My flight leaves on Tuesday at two P.M.”
And if our men’s team makes it to the final against the Dream Team? Would that be the death knell for them?
“We all know that the Americans are very strong, even more so because they have Kobi Bryant. Whatever, we just have to be meaner. If we win, this would go down in history like Munich in 1972 or our hockey victory in Quebec. So we have something to try for. By the way, I went to the Olympic village and met with Andrei Kirilenko and the boxers. They have it really nice there, much better than when we were in Turin.”
What did you say to Kirilenko?
“He knows everything perfectly well. You know I remember when Kirya was our captain in the game show “The Great Race”, when Kovalchuck and I had to take part in different contests, like breaking a bull, carrying a heavy bag…and our team won. I know that Kirilenko is a captain’s captain to everyone! You can’t lose with him.”
Do you know who the biggest hero of the Olympics is right now?
“Bryant?”
The swimmer Michael Phelps, who is threatening to win eight gold medals.
“He’s got the wind at his back. If he does this, they should make a monument for him in America. That would be cool!”
By the way, do you know him? Phelps lives in Baltimore, and you live right next door in Washington.
“Unfortunately we haven’t met. But I wouldn’t mind meeting him. I’d ask him how he flies through the water so fast”
Have you been to Asia before?
“No, I haven’t even vacationed in Thailand. China of course just boggles the mind. What has struck me the most is the heat. I want to take a birch branch and start hitting myself on the shoulders. I feel like I’m in a sauna.”
Have you tried Peking duck yet?
“No, I’ve been buying souveniers.”
How much have you spent?
“11 thousand yuan.”
Wow! That is almost three thousand dollars!
“Do you know how much stuff I was told to bring back to Moscow? Toys, pendants, magnets, statuette, cups, Chinese tea… I’ll give it all away to friends and relatives!”
I’m afraid, Sasha, that they won’t let you on the plane with all this stuff. Do you know what the allowance is now? 30kg per person.
“Ah, but I fly business class” Ovechkin winks at me.
I totally forgot that business class doesn’t have a
weight limit on luggage.
Click on icon above for original story in Russian at sovsport.ru
Click on thumbnail below to view many more great pics taken during this interview on On Frozen Blog
Photo by Pavel Lysenkov / SovSport