Russia coach Ovchinnikov found dead aged 43 - Reuters UK

By Gennady Fyodorov

MOSCOW | Wed Aug 29, 2012 8:39pm BST

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Sergei Ovchinnikov, who coached the Russian women's volleyball team at the London Olympics, was found dead on Wednesday, prompting speculation that he committed suicide. He was 43.

"Sergei Ovchinnikov suddenly passed away at the team's (pre-season) training camp in Croatia," Ovchinnikov's club team Dynamo Moscow said on their website (www.vldinamo.ru), without giving details of the cause of death.

Croatian state news agency Hina quoted a police spokesman as saying a foreign citizen had been found dead in a hotel in the city of Porec without giving his identity.

"The circumstances are still being investigated," Valter Opasic told Hina.

Croatian media reported that the Russian coach committed suicide in his hotel room by hanging himself.

The Russian Volleyball Federation (RVF) declined to comment on the cause of Ovchinnikov's death.

"We are still gathering more information and until we get all the facts, we won't comment," RVF press officer Irina Zolotova said.

Ovchinnikov was appointed national team coach last December and guided Russia through qualification for the 2012 Olympics.

In London, the powerful Russian team, who won back-to-back world titles in 2006 and 2010, were considered leading medal contenders but lost in the quarter-finals to eventual winners Brazil after squandering six match points.

Russian media heavily criticised Ovchinnikov for the Olympic failure, saying his lack of top-level international experience was the main reason for losing to Brazil.

"I could see his reaction after that loss," Vladimir Alekno, who led the Russian men's volleyball team to the Olympic gold medal in London, was quoted as saying by local media.

"He took it very personally. He was very hard on himself, probably blamed himself for not winning that match."

However, Ovchinnikov's agent, Yegor Nozdrin, said personal problems might have led to his client's death.

"There was absolutely no reason for what happened from a sporting point of view," Nozdrin told the daily Sovietsky Sport.

"He was thinking of continuing his coaching career, discussing his future plans before leaving for Croatia. I think it had to do with some personal things in his life."

Ovchinnikov is survived by his wife and two children.

(Reporting By Gennady Fyodorov; Additional reporting by Igor Ilic in Zagreb, editing by Ed Osmond)

Tom Daley says coach Evangulov good for GB Olympic diving

By Nick Hope BBC Olympic sports reporter European champion Tom Daley insists the row with GB performance director Alexei Evangulov over the diver's media commitments is firmly "in the past".

In February, Evangulov suggested Daley's career could emulate that of Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova  if he did not spend more time training.

"Alexei is what British diving has needed - he has really shaken the GB Olympic team," said Daley.

"I've trained as hard as I can and we have a really good relationship."

Evangulov admits he was "surprised" by the media reaction to his comments earlier in the year, when he suggested that, like Kournikova, Daley was in danger of being more famous as a celebrity than for sporting achievement.

But he said he had been impressed by Daley's subsequent performances since the disappointment of finishing seventh alongside Peter Waterfield at the Olympic test event.

"Tom has a great personality, but it's not enough to be a great athlete - you have to work hard," said the Russian.

"[Tom] works hard and his training volume is high, but I'm a greedy coach and I want more."

Evangulov added: "Tom's competed well, getting medals in the World Series individually and in synchro, but I'm tough and demanding - that's it."

Daley, Waterfield, Stacie Powell and Jack Laugher confirmed at GB Diving's news conference that they would all be attending Friday's Olympic opening ceremony.

Waterfield and Daley will compete together on day three of the Games, Monday 30 August, but they dismissed any concerns that their attendance could affect their performances in the 10m platform synchronised final.

"The question was asked, but we have a few days before we compete after the ceremony so it shouldn't affect us," said Waterfield.

"If it was a different Olympics we may have made a different decision, but we couldn't miss that experience at a home Games."

Daley wants Olympic success for his family

Daley continued: "We had a big discussion and decided that the psychological benefits of getting out there and hearing that support and applause would outweigh any other reason not for doing it."

The double Commonwealth champion also revealed that in the 11-day gap between competing in the 10m synchronised and individual competitions he will leave the athletes' village and return to GB Diving's pre-Games base in Southend, Essex.

"From my experience working with the Russian team we always try to escape from the Olympic environment because you can be exhausted emotionally," Evangulov said.

"You can be good physically but emotionally you can be tired.

"That's why we decided to get a rest from the Olympic environment - we needed some solitude."

Alexei Evangulov and Tom Daley both insist that any issues between them concerning the diver's training regime and media commitments are firmly in the past

Tom Daley says coach Evangulov good for GB Olympic diving

By Nick Hope BBC Olympic sports reporter European champion Tom Daley insists the row with GB performance director Alexei Evangulov over the diver's media commitments is firmly "in the past".

In February, Evangulov suggested Daley's career could emulate that of Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova  if he did not spend more time training.

"Alexei is what British diving has needed - he has really shaken the GB Olympic team," said Daley.

"I've trained as hard as I can and we have a really good relationship."

Evangulov admits he was "surprised" by the media reaction to his comments earlier in the year, when he suggested that, like Kournikova, Daley was in danger of being more famous as a celebrity than for sporting achievement.

But he said he had been impressed by Daley's subsequent performances since the disappointment of finishing seventh alongside Peter Waterfield at the Olympic test event.

"Tom has a great personality, but it's not enough to be a great athlete - you have to work hard," said the Russian.

"[Tom] works hard and his training volume is high, but I'm a greedy coach and I want more."

Evangulov added: "Tom's competed well, getting medals in the World Series individually and in synchro, but I'm tough and demanding - that's it."

Daley, Waterfield, Stacie Powell and Jack Laugher confirmed at GB Diving's news conference that they would all be attending Friday's Olympic opening ceremony.

Waterfield and Daley will compete together on day three of the Games, Monday 30 August, but they dismissed any concerns that their attendance could affect their performances in the 10m platform synchronised final.

"The question was asked, but we have a few days before we compete after the ceremony so it shouldn't affect us," said Waterfield.

"If it was a different Olympics we may have made a different decision, but we couldn't miss that experience at a home Games."

Daley wants Olympic success for his family

Daley continued: "We had a big discussion and decided that the psychological benefits of getting out there and hearing that support and applause would outweigh any other reason not for doing it."

The double Commonwealth champion also revealed that in the 11-day gap between competing in the 10m synchronised and individual competitions he will leave the athletes' village and return to GB Diving's pre-Games base in Southend, Essex.

"From my experience working with the Russian team we always try to escape from the Olympic environment because you can be exhausted emotionally," Evangulov said.

"You can be good physically but emotionally you can be tired.

"That's why we decided to get a rest from the Olympic environment - we needed some solitude."

Alexei Evangulov and Tom Daley both insist that any issues between them concerning the diver's training regime and media commitments are firmly in the past