Russian president Vladimir Putin finally got his gold medal, and he is apparently very happy about that.
After a disappointing exit in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the Russian national hockey team redeemed itself this weekend by defeating Finland 5-2 to earn a gold medal in the 2014 IIHF World Championships in Belarus.
Putin went straight to the locker room to celebrate after Russia’s win and started by giving a rather warm embrace to star player Alexander Ovechkin.
The celebration only got better for the apple of Putin’s eye, who helped his esteemed leader take a victory swig of champagne out of the golden trophy.
Hockey clearly matters in Russia, as the entire nation seemed to be crestfallen after their prized team failed to take home a medal at their own Olympics.
A gold medal at the World Hockey Championships is a nice consolation, though, especially for Ovechkin, whose Washington Capitals missed the playoffs this year for the first time in six seasons. A hug from his president should cheer him up.
Check out more photos from Putin and Ovechkin’s celebration here, courtesy of championat.com.
