Russian Basketball Star Gets New Medal; Olympic Goalie Controversy

Russian Basketball Star to Get New Olympic Medal

CSKA Moscow guard Vitaly Fridzon told R-Sport on Wednesday he is to receive a new London 2012 Olympic bronze medal to replace one stolen from the Russian basketball star last summer.

Fridzon's Moscow suburbs house was burgled just two weeks after the national men’s team won its first-ever Olympic basketball medal, beating Argentina in the bronze-medal game on August 12.

Nearly 15 months on, with all hope of recovering the original medal abandoned, the 28-year-old will be presented with a replacement ahead of Friday’s Euroleague game against Fenerbahce.

"Now I watch the game, photos and see the medal on my chest, but in fact I don’t have it and can’t show it to anyone," Fridzon told R-Sport. "It’s good that there are good people and my team, because without CSKA nothing would have worked out."

Fridzon added he would be more careful this time and probably keep the medal in a safe or even in a bank deposit box.

Six-time Euroleague champion CSKA has footed the $630 bill for the new medal, which will bear the word "replica" to indicate the first one was lost.

Fridzon was key to Russia's success in London, averaging 11.5 points over eight games to trail only Brooklyn Nets forward Andrei Kirilenko, who posted 17.5, in the scoring stakes.

Sochi Olympics: Bryzgalov Concussion Deepens Russia Goalie Crisis

A concussion to Edmonton Oilers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov means all six Russian goaltenders plying their trade in the NHL have succumbed to injury ahead of February's Sochi Olympics.

Bryzgalov, who is likely to fight for a starting spot in the Russia roster with Sergei Bobrovsky, left the game in the second period of Sunday’s 4-3 victory at Dallas Stars following a nasty collision with Ryan Garbutt.

"(Ilya) Bryzgalov's not well enough to dress," Oilers coach Dallas Eakins said on the team’s website. "He has the symptoms that go with a concussion or whiplash." No recovery date was specified.

The other five Russian netminders in the North American league also have health issues, albeit to varying degrees of severity.

Last season’s Vezina Trophy winner Bobrovsky have to leave the ice due to a lower-body injury in the third period of the Columbus Blue Jackets' 1-0 victory Tuesday over the Tampa Bay Lightning, after stopping all 18 shots.

Semyon Varlamov, who faces charges of third-degree assault after allegedly beating his girlfriend, should return for the Colorado Avalanche later this week after a minor groin injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes' Anton Khudobin has already missed six weeks with an ankle injury, while veterans Evgeny Nabokov of the New York Islanders and Nikolai Khabibulin of the Chicago Blackhawks are both out with groin problems.

Russia coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov must submit the roster to the International Ice Hockey Federation by January 7, just five weeks away.

In Sochi, four-time world champion Russia is under great pressure to win gold following Vancouver 2010 failure, when the team was destroyed 7-3 by Canada in the quarterfinal.

Published by exclusive arrangement with Around the Rings’ Sochi 2014 media partner RIA-Novosti.

For general comments or questions,click here.

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics isAroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.