Dmitry Medvedev declared this objective at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport, Excellence in Sports, Preparation and Organisation of the 2014 Sochi XXII Winter Olympics and XI Paralympics and the 2013 XXVII World Student Games in Kazan.
The President outlined the main tasks for developing the country’s top level sports management system and training the national teams, and said that the worsening in Russia’s sports results over the 2006–2010 cycle of Olympic Games is not due to lack of resources but to their ineffective use.
Mr Medvedev noted the significance of providing national teams with the proper medical, biological and scientific support and improving training facilities and conditions for Olympic sports, including those in which Russia is a relative newcomer.
The President stressed that Russia must not be dependent on foreign sports equipment producers and needs to develop its own sports equipment manufacturing industry. This is especially important in sports in which the results are directly linked to the quality of technology and equipment used.
There is a need to clearly establish who has responsibility for national teams’ performance. This responsibility lies above all on the sports federations and the trainers. Greater support must go to sports schools in the regions, which should become growth centres in priority Olympic sports.
President Medvedev also noted the need to increase Russia’s presence in international sports organisations in order to promote and protect Russian athletes’ interests and play a full part in drafting international rules and sports regulations.
Mr Medvedev pointed out that at the 2014 Sochi Olympics Russia must confirm its ability to host competitions of the highest standard and demonstrate its team’s winning performance.