Yeltsin Back Home, Scoffs at Rumors He’s Ill and Brags about Chilly Swims
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MOSCOW — Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin returned to Moscow on Sunday after a two-week holiday on the Black Sea coast, seeking to bring his authority to bear after a week of coup and illness rumors in the Russian capital.
Speaking to reporters before his plane took off for Moscow from Adler airport, near the resort of Sochi, Yeltsin scoffed at reports in the various media that he was seriously ill.
“Despite the rainy weather, I had a good time. I even played tennis and swam in the sea, although the temperature was only about 7 or 8 degrees (Celsius),” he said.
“Can a sick man swim in the sea when it’s 8 degrees (46 Fahrenheit)?” he asked, according to Itar-Tass news agency.
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