ALEXANDER MEMENOV / AFP/Getty Images

A picture taken on November 4, 2004 shows then Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Leonid Tyagachev, left.

By David Nowak

updated 9:30 a.m. ET March 4, 2010

MOSCOW - The head of the Russian Olympic Committee says he resigned in the wake of Russia's worst performance at the Winter Games.

Leonid Tyagachev said in televised remarks Thursday that his decision followed the "unexpectedly" poor results of the team at Vancouver.

Russian news agencies reported his resignation Wednesday, but the Olympic Committee denied it.

Russia placed 11th with three golds and sixth in the overall medal count with just 15 medals. That total was two fewer than its previous low in Salt Lake City in 2002.

The results proved particularly embarrassing as the country takes the torch for the next Winter Olympics in its Black Sea resort of Sochi in 2014.