Bolshunov did not train at full strength for three months. But in the Russian Cup he is unbeatable.

Bolshunov did not train at full strength for three months. But in the Russian Cup he is unbeatable.

Andrey Shitikhin November 26, 2023, 16:45 Moscow time

The rivals put pressure on the champion in the sprint and in the classics, but so far they have not been able to beat him.

The first stage of the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Cup ended in Vershina Toya with three victories for Alexander Bolshunov in three races. The three-time Olympic champion did not train at his full strength for almost three months. And now he does it as carefully as possible. But he is still invincible.

How the Russian Cross-Country Cup began:

“Okay, we have arrived.” Bolshunov feared the limit of his opponent’s luck, but still won

After the speed skating test, Bolshunov spoke cautiously about whether he would run the sprint and classic race. But in the end he started. He won the sprint, accelerating in each race.

“The truth is that I didn’t know what to expect from the sprint, because here you have to make sudden movements to which you don’t know how the body will react. But even with all the initial data I thought that I should at least be in the top three, but I understood that it was possible to win. “I don’t know why, but I had that feeling,” Alexander said.

Bolshunov’s sentiment did not disappoint. But the opponents tried. In the semi-finals, for example, he was very tense against the young Egor Mitroshin, who showed the same time as him. In the final, Mitroshin, always considered a marathon runner, came sensationally third, and second place went to Ivan Gorbunov, who broke his pole in the quarterfinals, ran a quarter lap without it and still went further .

The Russian ski season started without Bolshunov:

Russian ski stars began the season training and receiving prize money. Bolshunov did not show up at the exit.

In the classic race, Bolshunov started last and at the start his stick broke. Alexander commented on this moment with a strong word and ran away. The sticks turned out to be strong, they did not need to be changed. He clearly controlled the situation, since he had that opportunity thanks to his starting number and the advice of his coaches.

His main rival was Savely Korostelev. The “novice skier,” as he calls himself, had a great race. And he would definitely win. But for now Bolshunov is stronger. He’s not going to give up victory just like that. Sergei Ardashev came third.

Savely Korostelev

Photo: RIA Novosti

“I gave myself the mentality that if I gain even a second or two, everything will be fine. It turned out even a little better. The boys were very strong competition. I had to work full time. A little setback at the beginning? Yes, the sticks broke, I was afraid I had broken them, but it turned out that everything was in order,” commented the winner.

Alexander Bolshunov spoke about what happened to him in the summer and what he had to go through. Read his interview in “Championship” soon.

In the meantime, you can read the interview with Alexander Bolshunov Sr.:

Exclusive

“The Russians are to blame everywhere. Enough!” Emotional interview with Bolshunov’s father

In the women’s case, after winning the skating race, Veronika Stepanova missed the sprint, but in the classic race she beat the excellent classicist Anastasia Kuleshova by a large advantage. You can say all you want that Verónica chooses only those races in which she has a chance of winning or at least a prize. But only a blind person cannot ignore the fact that he is constantly adding. The sprint in Stepanova’s absence was won by her training group partner Anastasia Faleeva.

Veronica Stepanova

Photo: FLGR

And 17-year-old Alina Pekletsova confirmed her status as a top star among the new generation of skiers. Silver in speed skating and bronze in classics are indicators of a high level.

The young stars of the Russian national team, Pekletsova and Ekaterina Nikitina, will miss the next phase of the Russian Cup in Tyumen, as the youth team heads to the training camp in Uvat.