Russian speed skater itching for more Olympic medals.

VANCOUVER, February 14 (Itar-Tass) - Speed skater Ivan Skobrev has won
the first Olympic medal for the Russian national team. He took bronze in
a 5-kilometer race. His first words at the finish were: "I've done it."
"The race was difficult. I couldn't move or recover my breath for the
next five minutes after the finish. I didn't' understand what was going
around, and my coach helped me to take off my skates," Skobrev said.
But now the young athlete is itching for more medals.
Ivan Skobrev was born in Khabarovsk, the Far East, on February 8,
1983. He is 187 cm high and weighs 85 kilograms.
Skobrev graduated from the St. Petersburg State Engineering and
Economic University. His first coach was Vitaly Vazhnin. He plays for the
Severstal sports club. Skobrev has been a member of the Russian national
team since 2000. The coach is Alexander Kalinin.
Skobrev won a bronze medal at the 2007 world championships in a team
race. In 2010 he gained bronze at the European Championships in combined
events. Skobrev is many times national champion and record holder.
At present, he trains together with the Italian team.
This is his second Olympic games.
Skobrev lives in the Moscow region. His two hobbies are computers and
cars.
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