Putin to host Russian Olympic team in Kremlin

Moscow, July 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia's Olympic team will meet President Vladimir Putin in Kremlin Saturday prior to their departure for the Games in Britain.

The Olympic Games will kick off July 27.

"The farewell ceremony for the Russian Olympic team will be held in the Alexandrovsky Hall of the Kremlin. This will be the second such ceremony in the Kremlin," the presidential press service said.

The Olympics in London will be held between July 27 and August 12 and the Russian delegation will be led at the opening ceremony by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

President Putin is expected to pay a private visit during the judo events.

Putin, 59, is a judo black belt and an Honorary president of the International Judo Federation and the European Judo Union.

In the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Russia finished third behind China and the US winning a total of 72 medals - 23 gold, 21 silver and 28 bronze.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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