Putin releases 2 snow leopards into southern Russia, fulfilling Olympic pledge

September 30th, 2009 IOC welcomes presidents _ but for the last time?COPENHAGEN — Senior IOC members suggest the proven winning tactic of bringing top politicians to lobby for Olympic bids could be reaching an end. The comments by Dick Pound and Jim Easton — who share 46 years' experience on the International Olympic Committee — came as Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in Copenhagen to press Rio de Janeiro's case for being awarded the 2016 games.

September 21st, 2009 IOC: Putin keeps promise, releases snow leopardsMOSCOW — The International Olympic Committee says Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin presided over the release of two snow leopards into a wildlife sanctuary near the site of the 2014 Winter Olympic games. The committee says Putin and the IOC's Jean-Claude Killy witnessed the two male tigers freed into a nature preserve in the Caucasus mountains near the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

September 16th, 2009 Obama drums up support for Chicago Olympic bidWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama staged a homecoming-style Olympic rally at the White House Wednesday, saying the whole country is rooting for his hometown of Chicago in its efforts to host the 2016 Summer Games. "Chicago is ready.

September 7th, 2009 Russia starts well at rhythmic gymnastics worldsMIE, Japan — Olympic champion Evgeniya Kanaeva took the halfway lead during qualifying Monday, helping Russia to a strong start on the opening day of the rhythmic gymnastics world championships. Kanaeva scored 28.775 points in the hoop competition to finish ahead of compatriot Daria Kondakova.

September 3rd, 2009 Force India releases Fisichella to join FerrariMARANELLO, Italy — Force India has agreed to release Giancarlo Fisichella to join Ferrari for the rest of the Formula One season. Ferrari has been anxious to find a better replacement for the injured Felipe Massa after the team's longtime test driver, Luca Badoer, qualified last and finished no better than 14th in his first two races since stepping in for the Brazilian.

August 28th, 2009 Isinbayeva breaks pole vault world recordZURICH — Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia has broken her pole vault record again with a leap of 16 feet, 7¼ inches. She set her latest record Friday on her first attempt at the Weltklasse meet.

August 5th, 2009 K-G-Beefcake: Putin bares his chest in SiberiaMOSCOW — The Czar-boro man? When Vladimir Putin rode a horse bare-chested through a rustic region of Siberia, it produced astonishing images casting him as a rugged Russian outdoorsman. In the official photographs and video, shown on state television, Putin cultivates the macho image that Russians appear to love as they look to him to keep the country stable and strong more than a year after he stepped down as president.

July 24th, 2009 Guo and Wu defend 3-meter synchro title at worldsROME — Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia have won the gold medal in women's 3-meter synchronized diving to defend their title at the world championships. Also the Olympic champions, Guo and Wu earned 348 points over five dives Friday.

July 20th, 2009 Report: Putin hopes KHL will expand westwardMOSCOW — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he hopes the Kontinental Hockey League will expand to include clubs in central and western Europe. The Interfax news agency reported that Putin said the KHL, which comprises teams from Russia, Belarus, Latvia and Kazakhstan, should expand beyond the former Soviet Union and "become a pan-European league." Putin says if that does happen, it would be "without any administrative domination" by Russia, meaning that Moscow would not seek to control the league.

July 19th, 2009 Russia wins team tech gold in synchro swimmingROME — Olympic champion Russia has won the team tech gold medal in synchronized swimming at the world championships. Swimming to the notes of Albenise's Spanish suite on Sunday, Russia scored 98.833 points.

July 19th, 2009 Russia's Pakhalina wins 1-meter springboard divingROME — Julia Pakhalina of Russia won the gold medal in women's 1-meter springboard diving at the world championships Sunday, her first title at a worlds or Olympics in nine years. Pakhalina led from start to finish and totaled 325.05 points through the five-dive final.

July 10th, 2009 Israel leads Russia in Davis Cup quartersTEL AVIV, Israel — Israel has taken a surprising 2-0 lead over Russia in the Davis Cup quarterfinals after Dudi Sela rallied to beat Mikhai Youzhny in the second singles match. Sela won 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5 on Friday after Harel Levy beat Igor Andreev 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, putting Israel one win away from its first semifinal appearance.

July 6th, 2009 WHITE HOUSE NOTEBOOK: For Russia, Obama or soccer?MOSCOW — Millions of Russians were expected to tune out President Barack Obama's news conference Monday with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and instead tune in to a rebroadcast of a June 13 Russian league soccer match on the main state-run sports channel. The match, originally seen by a limited audience via satellite, became controversial after allegations of match-fixing.

July 5th, 2009 Borzakovsky, Collins, win at rain-soaked meetZHUKOVSKY, Russia — Former Olympic champion Yury Borzakovsky won the 800 meters in cold and rainy conditions at the Znamensky Brothers Memorial meet near Moscow on Sunday. The Russian splashed to the line ahead of compatriot Yury Koldin and Kenya's Reuben Bett to win in 1 minute, 46.48 seconds, a full four seconds slower than his personal best.

June 6th, 2009 Putin names new Sochi Olympics construction chiefNOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has appointed Taimuraz Bolloyev as the new construction chief for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Bolloyev replaces Viktor Kolodyazhny, who has stepped down, as chief of the state Olympstroi corporation.