On Monday we posted a story containing Alex Ovechkin’s response to a question about boycotts of the Sochi Olympic games, according to Sports.ru. Here’s our translation of Alex Ovechkin’s quote in that story:

[There are] calls to boycott the games? Our job is to play. I’d rather speak about that.

Pavel Lysenkov of SovSport.ru has since published a story with more context on that discussion. The translation below, by RMNB’s Igor Kleyner, doesn’t contradict the translated quote from Sports.ru, but it does provide more insight on the conversation:

PL: It is fashionable now to talk about Olympic boycott. What is your opinion?

AO: Boycott because of what?

PL: Many reasons. Gays, Snowden…

AO: Our business is to play hockey. Whoever wants to boycott; let them. Let us better talk about sport, Olympics and sweaters. And put off other business until later.

I’m not sure why Sports.ru’s original quote isn’t the same as Lysenkov’s, but the mismatch isn’t unprecedented in the world of compressed quotes. Either way, it doesn’t appear Ovechkin’s meaning was changed much. But since this is an important international topic, we’ll try to provide as much context as possible in the interest of clarity.