Russian oligarch 2004, Putin apparently engaged in a power-struggle with some oligarchs, reaching a "grand bargain" with them. This bargain allowed the oligarchs to maintain their powers, in exchange for their explicit support of – and alignment with – Putin's government. Many more business people have become oligarchs during Putin's time in power, and often due to personal relations with Putin, such as the rector of the institute where Putin obtained a degree in 1996, Vladimir Litvinenko, and Putin's childhood friend and judo-teacher Arkady Rotenberg. However, other analysts argue that the oligarchic structure has remained intact under Putin, with Putin devoting much
Lukáš Krpálek Lukáš Krpálek Lukáš Krpálek (born 15 November 1990) is a Czech heavyweight judoka. He is a former world champion (2014), former European champion (2014) and current Olympic Champion (2016). He is the most successful judoka in Czech and Czechoslovakian history, and was named Czech Judoka of the Year eight times between 2008 and 2015. Krpálek took up judo by chance – he wanted to train in karate, but his uncle mistook the sport. His brother Michal is also a judoka who served as a sparring partner for the Czech judo team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2015 Krpálek married