Maria Sharapova: The leading contender to carry the Russian flag at Olympics opening ceremony next month

According to RIA Novosti quoting Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko; Maria Sharapova is a leading candidate to carry the Russian flag at the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Maria Sharapova: The leading contender to carry the Russian flag at Olympics opening ceremony next month

While Russia's tennis chief Shamil Tarpishchev almost confirmed on Tuesday that Russian tennis star will be the Russian delegation's flag-bearer Olympic opening ceremony in London on July 27.

Local media reported referring to Tarpishchev – also a member of the International Olympic Committee, that Tennis is a very popular sport and, so as far as I know, Roger Federer has been chosen to carry the Swiss flag and Rafa Nadal will lead the Spanish delegation at the opening ceremony in London.

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London Olympics 2012

Russian Plane Crash Tragedy --Alexander Galimov: The Last Survivor of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Died Today

MOSCOW, Russia (Monday, Sept. 12) – Alexander Galimov died today in a Moscow hospital due to his fatal burn injuries after hanging between life and death for five days.

Alexander Galimov: The Last Survivor of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Died Today

The 26-year-old Alexander Galimov was the last survivor of a top Russian hockey team, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which was killed in a plane crash on Wednesday (Sept. 07).

According to the Vishnevsky hospital sources; Galimov died of the severe burns that covered about 90 percent of his body, despite the best efforts of doctors in its burn unit, considered one of the best in Russia.

At least 44 people died in Wednesday’s plane crash including 37 members, players, coaches and staff of the local Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey club. A Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger plane crashed and caught fire moments after taking off. It crashed just 500 meters away from runway.

After the death of Alexander Galimov only one more survivor left who is flight crew member Alexander Sizov, remained in intensive care at Moscow's Sklifosovsky hospital.

Watch Video -- Dynamo Minsk's Heartbreaking Tribute to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

MINSK, Belarus – Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) season’s opening was postponed due to the gloomy incident in which 37 members of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl died in Wednesday's plane crash while on their way to Minsk to open the KHL season. 

Dynamo Minsk's Heartbreaking Tribute to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

When the Russian Yak-42 jet aircraft crashed on Wednesday, it was carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl players to their season opener against Dynamo Minsk.

With the KHL season postponed until Monday, Dynamo chose to honor the Lokomotiv team on the ice on Thursday night during the time they would have been playing.

More than 15,000 fans including league officials and politicians came to watch Dynamo take the ice opposite photos of the lost Lokomotiv players and coaches. As an orchestra played a requiem, Dynamo players took turns putting pucks into their own empty net, as the names of the Lokomotiv dead were read out.

Watch the video of the tribute paid by Dynamo Minsk to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl:

France Leads Fed Cup 1-0 Over Russia as Alize Cornet Fought Back to Beat Svetlana Kuznetsova

MOSCOW - In the opening singles of Fed Cup World Group on Saturday; France took the lead 1-0 over Russia as French star Alize Cornet beat Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova by 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Maria Sharapova, three-time Grand Slam winner, will take on France's Virginie Razzano in the second singles match.

Alize Cornet, World No. 67, was down by a set and 2-0 when she fought back to level at 2-2 in the second set and then cruised past Kuznetsova to break the service in the eighth game to stay in the match. After having breaks three times in the third set, French broke finally in the ninth game for a 5-4 lead and served the match out with a forehand cross-court winner.

The reverse singles and doubles are scheduled for Sunday. The winner of the match will play either Australia or Italy in the semifinals on April 16-17.