In light of a relatively successful 2016 Olympic Games, Russian Swimming Federation President, Vladimir Salnikov, has announced his intention to run for an additional term.
A 4-time Olympic Champion in his own right, Salnikov has been in his current role since 2010. He told state-run media TASS, “I have made a decision to take part in the elections.”
He also says, “I have no information regarding other candidates wishing to run for the post of the RSF president.”
“The date for the RSF evaluation session has not been defined as of yet and will be announced following the presidium’s meeting,” Salnikov stated.
At the 2016 Games in Rio, the Russian contingency claimed 4 medals, composed of two silver and two bronze. Controversial breaststroker Yulia Efimova earned two silver medals individually, taking 2nd in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke after receiving an 11th hour appeal victory enabling the swimmer to partake in the Games.
Teammates Anton Chupkov and Evgeny Ryulov earned bronze medals in the 200m breaststroke and 200m backstroke events, respectively.
Dude is just collecting a paycheck…nothing more and nothing less
Just who is it in Russia that’s going to clean up their doping scandal? The government?? Oh, wait! It was the government and their sports federations that were behind the doping and the cover up activities that created the whole mess. If there are no changes in the leadership of both RUSSIA’s swimming federation and FINA then you should anticipate no changes in the standard operating procedure of either…
I trust Vlad. He did the work and I don’t think he will tolerate cheaters.
Lol.
He was a great swimmer before and he is a good soldier now. He doesn’t need his own option. He will do what will be ordered. If it is not to tolerate cheaters then he won’t. If it would be to tolerate then he will.
Same can be said about Alex Popov. Sport was never independently governed neither before in USSR nor now in Russia. It was made a powerful political tool to manipulate public opinion and public preferences. Nobody is allowed to disobey, no matter who you are and how good you were as an athlete.
Salnikov has been a hero of mine since the early 80s. Unfortunately, his softness on his federation’s doping problem–and its place within the larger state-sponsored efforts of Russian athletics–makes me not only question his leadership, but also about his own morality on the issue. For me, his laissez-faire attitude gives me pause to wonder about the validity of his own performances.