Word: gottwald
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...youngest member of the U.S. team and supposedly its weak link, finished almost three seconds ahead of Finland's Ryynaenen in the first leg of the relay, giving the Americans the lead. American Todd Lodwick, making his fifth Olympic appearance, held it, but Austria slowly gained ground, and Felix Gottwald opened a 14-sec. gap against the third American racer, Spillane. (Watch a video about how Todd Lodwick trains...
...John Elway can do it.'" But even channeling Elway couldn't help Lodwick overcome a 2:15 handicap. Two of the top three jumpers, compatriots Samppa Lajunen and Jaako Tallus, skied to gold and silver medals in a double Finnish finish. And a tremendous ski leg catapulted Austrian Felix Gottwald from 11th place to the bronze. When Gottwald passed him in the second lap, Lodwick said, it took the wind out of his sails. His legs felt sluggish. And he was only able to hold on to seventh...
...next day I flew to Yalta. We met over meals. By then Stalin could not resist forcing liquor on people to get them drunk. Gottwald already had a fondness for drink, so Stalin didn't have to work very hard at getting him drunk. I remember Gottwald saying, "Comrade Stalin, why are your people stealing our technical secrets? They steal everything they can. We can see what's happening. It's an insult to us. We have no secrets from you. If you need some new technology or advanced designs, just say so and we'll give them...
Unfortunately, Stalin was not always so sensible. Some time later, during another meeting with Gottwald, Stalin asked if the Soviet Union should move its troops into Czechoslovakia. The reason could have been simply that the cold war was gaining momentum. Truman was President, and Stalin feared war with America...
...Gottwald answered, "Please, Comrade Stalin, anything but that! Under no circumstances should you send Soviet troops into our country. It would poison the well and create impossible difficulties for our own Communist Party...