The Russian national ice hockey team beat Belarus in the bronze medal match of the 2002 Olympics, as it happened
They did what they were supposed to do. How Russia took bronze from Belarusians at the 2002 Olympics
Our last medal in hockey at the Olympics with the participation of all the strongest.
The Russian team went to the Olympics in Salt Lake City in the status of one of the elect, even despite that unsuccessful period of the 90s – the beginning of the 2000s, when getting on the podium at the European championships was truly something rare. The range of individuals with the ability to issue an identity card was inspiring: Larionov, Bure, Kasparaitis, Yashin, Zhamnov, Gonchar, Kovalev … Whatever the name, it is a real block for all domestic hockey. Be that as it may, the group stage should not have been undertaken for our team with many problems, but it turned out quite differently. The first coincidence gave out a strength test. 6:4 with Belarusians, whose skill was much lower.
Vyacheslav Fetisov and certainly a lot of food for thought for the headquarters of our national team. As well as in the future, the result of the first match at the tournament did not become a cause of misalignment or laxity. As a result of the current situation with the Americans and Finns, the Russian squad most likely had to agree to the terms of their game, making up the outcome from them. The historical Russian national team did not know how to play well, starting from the opponent, which inevitably resulted in an unsatisfactory result. So it happened at that Olympics – 2:2 with the Americans and 1:3 with the Finns. 3rd place in the group and getting into the quarterfinals on very uncomfortable Czechs.
“It was the goalkeeper who brought the Russian conquest.” Khabibulin’s brilliant play in the 1/4 finals at the 2002 Olympic Games
Chekhov, Fetisov’s wards, with grief in half, managed to achieve an exceptional puck in the match from Maxim Afinogenov, but in the semifinals the dream of many Russians, and even the hockey players themselves, was destroyed. 2:3 from the Americans, Russians and Russians formed with their own ambitions for the golden games. Probably, getting our hockey players to the final would not be entirely fair. There was not a single game at the tournament so that it could be said with absolute certainty that Russia should pick up the medals. They still had to be earned and beat the Belarusians for the second time in the tournament, who, surprisingly, got to this part of the adventure, where medals and prize money are already being played.
The whole of Belarus was on the ears after the victory of the team of Vladimir Krikunov in the quarterfinals over the Swedes, and Vladimir Kopat, perhaps, in the month of February became the real hero of his country when he gave Salo “between the ears” at the end of the third period and brought his team to the semifinals of the game. The semi-finals went like a blur for the Belarusians. The victory over Tre Krunur turned the heads of many, and the element of euphoria certainly played a role in the result of the 7-1 combination using the Canadians. There were no such problems at the match with the Russians. Here, rather, everything depended on our hockey players. You have to tune in to a match with an opponent who is obviously weaker than you, waiting, especially after an offensive semi-final lost by one goal.
“I didn’t want to go on living.” The goal that ruined the life of the Swedish goalkeeper of Belarus Salo
From the starting minutes, it became clear that it would turn into a good game of hockey, and not skate in the status of losers who lost in the semifinals. At the first break, the team went to rest on the score 2:1 in favor of the Russians. Kovalyov and Kasparaitis excelled with us, with Belarusians – Dmitry Pankov. In the second period, the game has already leveled off, the advantage of the Russian team began to disappear, but the second period was left for the Russian team – 2:1, and 4:2 after forty minutes of play.
The Belarusians scored their goals using the mistakes of our defenders, which, probably, the underdogs should bet on, playing with a more venerable opponent. Another counterattack in the second period was crowned with a goal by Dudik. Our shot increased from the blue one, Tverdovsky scored, and after 23 seconds Datsyuk sent the fourth puck into the goal of Sergei Shabanov, demonstrating even then his lethal wrist throw into the observed nine.
1:0, Kovalev
1:1, Pankov
2:1, Kasparitis
2:2, Dudik
3:2, Tverdovsky
4:2, Datsyuk
5:2, Kovalev
6:2, P. Bure
7:2, Afinogenov
Goalkeepers: Khabibulin — Mezin (Shabanov)
The third period officially began after Alexei Kovalev’s double in the 47th minute. Belarusians are finally turning into pure farce. Pavel Bure and Maxim Afinogenov set a massive score on the scoreboard – 7:2. Belarusians with one victorious victory in the tournament got into the top four teams in the world, which is worthy of wars in history. The Russian national team has become older, but who would have thought that this bronze was the last medal for our country at the Olympic Games with the participation of the strongest players in the world for at least 20 years?