The message reads, in part:
“We are justifiably proud of our athletes’ outstanding victories and records at major, prestigious competitions. We are energetically promoting high-performance sports and a large-scale physical fitness movement, and are actively participating in international projects aimed at popularising the values of healthy living. Today, Russia is hosting its first ever IRONMAN race. It is symbolic that this is also the title conferred on the winners of this spectacular and dynamic competition that only the fastest, strongest and most resilient contestants are able to get through from start to finish.
I am confident that these competitions will be an important and truly grand event making triathlon even more popular in Russia.”