MOSCOW, April 28 Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin congratulated and awarded the champions on Thursday and winners of the Beijing Winter Olympics, as well as coaches of athletes. «Congratulations on your victory. Very difficult competitions in which you had to participate. Russia is used to working, developing in conditions of tough confrontation, sanctions, and so on. And our sport … too is under constant pressure, especially in recent years. But, interestingly, the more pressure they put on us, the more our country supports its sport, its athletes,» Sobyanin said, addressing the Olympians. The mayor added that, despite all restrictions imposed on the Russian team, its result in the past competitions can be called brilliant. «If we take the total number of medals won by our team, we have reached an excellent result. Second place in the world!» — Sobyanin said. He also separately noted the result of the capital's Olympians, who «performed with dignity» and «defended the honor of Moscow.» According to the press service of the mayor and the government of the capital, the Moscow winners and prize-winners of the Olympics will receive payments in the amount of: 4 million rubles — champions, 2.5 million rubles — silver medalists, 1.7 million rubles — bronze medalists. Coaches of champions and prize-winners will receive payments in the amount of 50% of the specified amounts.
