Medvedev to fire sport minister if Russia fails at Olympic London.

MOSCOW, June 24 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said
he would fire Sport Minister Vitaly Mutko if the Russian national team
poorly performs at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
"In case of a failure there will be no alternative to dismissing
Mutko," he said at a meeting with Moscow News daily journalists on
Thursday.
There were calls to fire Mutko after Russia poorly performed at the
Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010, but Medvedev made it clear he gave the
minister another chance.
"On the one hand, I was displeased after the latest Olympics. But on
the other hand, how can a president be indignant, ask who is to blame and
fire him?"
Medvedev said it was a rule in the Soviet Union to immediately fire
officials for sport failures. "It is hard to imagine they would sack
ministers in England or the United States for poor sport performance."
However he admitted there is a limit. "We all live in a certain space
and I definitely follow the rules of the game."