MOSCOW, April 25 (RIA Novosti) - Three-time Olympic champion Vladislav Tretyak was unanimously elected Tuesday as the president of the Russian Hockey Federation.
Previous head of the federation Alexander Steblin resigned March 24, saying the organization needed new blood and ideas. The federation immediately set up an 11-member commission to prepare for a special session to elect a new president.
Tretyak, Soviet national team goaltender and current chairman of the lower house of parliament's committee for physical culture, sports and youth, was nominated by three regional hockey federations.
Tretyak, who retired from the rink in 1984 and celebrates his 54th birthday today, was nominated for the post by the Moscow, St. Petersburg and Saratov Hockey Federations, as regulations state that an applicant is unable to put his own name forward.
Russia's Olympic hockey team finished a disappointing fourth at the Winter Olympics in Turin, failing to reach the finals after losing 0:4 to Finland in the semifinals. It then lost 0:3 to the Czech Republic in the playoff for the bronze medal.
