MOSCOW – Portraying himself as a daredevil downhill racer, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rode a bobsled with an elite athlete at a new winter-sports complex Thursday.
But his jaunt - not fully shown on Russian television - was down a gentle practice slope, not the steep, twisting, banked track used in competition.
Athletic displays have long been a trademark of Putin's public image and now form the backdrop for his campaign to reclaim the presidency in an election on March 4.
Hatless in a black parka, he toured the Paramonovo luge and bobsled training center outside Moscow, autographed helmets of Russian competitors readying for the European Championship, and accepted a helmet and a bobsled as gifts.
When the 59-year-old Russian leader asked to test the iced track with a solo ride, team member Viktor Kneib balked.
"You need specialized training," he said.
With Putin seated behind team member Alexey Shadeyev, Russia's NTV broadcaster -- controlled by the state gas company -- showed team members pushing their two-seat sled at the top of a track.
