Alcohol banned for Russians at London Games

Members of the Russian team and delegation attending the 2012 London Olympics are to be banned from drinking alcohol during the competition, according to reports here on Monday.

Members of the Russian team and delegation attending the 2012 London Olympics are to be banned from drinking alcohol during the competition, according to reports here on Monday.

"Olympic values are not compatible with alcohol," Ilia Djous, spokesman for Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Kozak, told the Kommersant daily.

According to the newspaper, the Russian Olympic Committee will not even be allowed to toast the health of medal winning athletes.

The decision was taken as a result of the "disastrous results" of the Russian team at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver where they achieved just 14 medals out of a predicted tally of up to 50.

Alcohol abuse kills about 500,000 people annually in Russia.