BYKOV: OUR TASK IS THE OLYMPIC GOLD

Russian hockey team’s head coach Vyacheslav Bykov believes that all teams will be very dangerous at the coming Olympic hockey tournament.


Recent injury of Salavat Yulaev defenceman Oleg Tverdovsky became a surprise for everyone. "Ufa club doctors determined that he is not ready to help the national team at the Olympic games", said Bykov. "After that we decided to withdraw Oleg from list of reserve players".

"We won’t change this list and will take to Canada Eremenko, Koshechkin, Proshkin, Atyushov and Tereschenko".

"Rumours that Nikulin missed latest match of Ak Bars because of national team coaches’ demand are not true, Our doctors asked their colleagues from Kazan to give them information about Nikulin’s health and it became clear that he had almost recovered. He will be absolutely all right".

"Russia’s coaching staff is glad that Semyon Varlamov returned to action and sealed a victory in one of lower leagues. Alexandr Eremenko has been showing himself as real supporter of his country and national team for recent several years. He is ready to replace his colleague when it is necessary, however the 23-men list is completed and we cannot introduce any changes into it".

"I don’t think that question of who will be the standard bearer of Russian delegation is very important and I am not ready to comment on it. I asked Alexey Morozov about it and he told me that it would be an honour to be one of candidates for standard bearer".

"What will happen next, I am not to decide it. The national team’s coaches don’t mind if our captain is out of schedule for one day. As for omen that the standard bearer performs unsuccessfully at the Games, we don’t believe in it".

"Vyacheslav Bykov gave an interview after the Russian Hockey Federation committee yesterday. We have no other target besides winning the Olympic gold medals, he said to the journalists".

"Russia will have only one concern, as we will have to be afraid of all competitors, they will be very dangerous. Russia will play the first “final” in Vancouver against Latvia on February 16".