The President thanked the team for its victories in the 29th Summer Olympics in Beijing, and noted that Russian athletes expended all their forces and demonstrated their best qualities in the fight for Olympic medals.
Russian athletes won 72 medals in Beijing — 23 gold, 21 silver and 28 bronze — and therefore were ranked third in the informal team ranking.
This year’s Russian Olympic team was the youngest ever Russian team. For 70 per cent of team members the Beijing Olympics were their first Olympics.