(15 Nov 1997) T/I: 11:02:35
Russian boozers tried to outdrink each other on Saturday (15/11) in a vodka knockout competition just a couple of hundred metres from the Kremlin.
The first stage involved "free-style" drinking of 50 grams (1.7 ounces) from shot glasses. The second part called for knocking back two 50-gram shots, while making a brief toast. The last stage included snacks and
featured finishing off a final 50 grams "for the road" while singing a song.
The judges included an author, a traffic cop, officers from a police
sobering-up station and a doctor. The 25 contestants were judged on "technique and artistic presentation."
Points were awarded according to technique, artistic style and ability to down the vodka in one swallow. Following the great Russian tradition of communal vodka drinking, candidates bawled out various toasts in between tipples, ranging from "To women" to "To the success of Russia's World Cup football team today".
After the contestants were checked for sobriety, the winners were announced: bank clerk Andrei Maisuk got the men's medal and Natalia Perkova, a travel agent, was the winner of the women's medal.
SHOWS:
MOSCOW, RUSSIA 15/11
0.00 WS crowd
0.02 MS man speaking on microphone
0.06 CU vodka shot being poured
0.11 Side shot of glasses lined up
0.16 WS judges
0.22 WS competitors takes his drink
0.26 Cautious man drinks shot
0.28 Man downs shot
0.30 Two lads down drinks
0.32 Woman downs shot
0.38 Judges hold up bottles
0.41 Captain Igor Yerkov, head of detox-unit, SOT in Russian: "There is a point to all this. people will be able to learn how much they can drink and hopefully they'll take an average for everyday use";
0.50 CU vodka being poured
0.54 WS meal set out with vodka on newspaper
1.00 WS man tests his sobriety... overbalances.
1.08 VISION ends
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