TV mix-up has Russian ice hockey fans celebrating despite losing

Russia’s players after losing the U20 Ice Hockey Worlds gold medal match between Canada and Russia in Ostrava, Czech Republic (Petr David Josek/AP)

Some Russian ice hockey fans celebrated victory despite losing at the world junior hockey championships because of a confusingly timed TV repeat.

Two state TV channels showed finals between Russia and Canada at the same time on Sunday – but one was live and the other was from 2011.

While most fans, and Russia’s players, commiserated after a 4-3 loss to Canada on Channel One, many Russians watched a nail-biting nine-year-old 5-3 comeback win on rival broadcaster Match TV.

Some fans posted celebratory messages on social media, or complained that media outlets were reporting the wrong score.

Here we go again … Canada and Russia meet for gold for the 9th time.
1999: 🇷🇺3⃣ 🇨🇦2⃣ OT2002: 🇷🇺5⃣ 🇨🇦4⃣2003: 🇷🇺4⃣ 🇨🇦3⃣2005: 🇨🇦6⃣ 🇷🇺1⃣2006: 🇨🇦5⃣ 🇷🇺0⃣2007: 🇨🇦4⃣ 🇷🇺2⃣2011: 🇷🇺5⃣ 🇨🇦3⃣2015: 🇨🇦5⃣ 🇷🇺4⃣2020: ❓❓❓#WorldJuniors 🥇
— #WorldJuniors (@HC_WJC) January 5, 2020

It became hard to tell who was genuinely duped and who was in on the joke.

Footballer Dmitry Tarasov wrote on Instagram: “Well done guys, congratulations on the win.”

After the post was widely mocked, Tarasov said it was meant as a joke after he forfeited in a board game he was playing with family.

Yana Tarasenko, a lifestyle blogger who is the wife of St Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko, posted on Instagram that her husband had watched the 2011 game for 10 minutes in the belief it was live – at least “until he saw himself in the game”.

Tarasenko was on the winning Russian team in 2011, but at the age of 28 he is now far too old for the world juniors.

Your 2020 World Junior Champions – Team Canada! 🇨🇦 @HC_WJC #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/1MlPgz8qVd
— 2020 IIHF #WorldJuniors (@iihf_wjc) January 5, 2020