MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Some 400 athletes will represent Russia in 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Brazil, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Monday.
"At present, we have an extended list of candidates consisting of over 1,000 people. It will be gradually reduced to a final number of about 400 athletes,"
Mutko said in phone interview with the R-Sport news agency.
Mutko added that a year ahead of the Rio Olympics his ministry already has understanding who of the Russian athletes has a real shot at winning medals.
"In every discipline we have athletes on whom we are seriously counting," the minister said.
At London Summer Olympics of 2012 Russia was represented by 436 athletes. Russia came fourth in the medal count.
