Ten years ago, the Olympic Games in Sochi ended with a historic Russian podium at the end of the 50-kilometer ski marathon. . The observer, together with the race participants, recalls that day, once again plunging into the incredible emotions given by Alexander Legkov, Maxim Vylegzhanin and Ilya Chernousov.
At the finish line, madness was happening. If there had been such a will, the then head of the Ministry of Sports, Vitaly Mutko, would probably have awarded Russian skiers the title of Heroes of Russia. The end of the Olympic Games in Sochi turned out to be very symbolic.
At the finish line of fifty dollars, only our great friend Martin Jonsrud Sundby was able to offer something against the Russian skiers. But a few centimeters and a photo finish left the Norwegian in fourth place. As Chernousov said, Scandinavian youth are now learning from that defeat of Sundby.
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“I don’t remember the spread, I didn’t even know what place I took,” Chernousov recalls. — I saw that Sasha won. Emotions came later. It was important for me to beat the Norwegian, I focused on that. The main goal was achieved. Then I watched it several times, it was a really beautiful finish. This race is studied in foreign textbooks, in Scandinavia, this is indicative.”
Legkov simply beamed at the finish line. He had just completed the biggest race of his life. The race for which I quit hockey and started skiing.
“Before the race, I didn’t put myself on the podium. I had the best thoughts, I was in an amazing mood, because I already had a silver medal,” said the Olympic champion. “It was like I was on holiday. The strongest race of my career, and after it I was practically not tired, «I could run another 20 kilometers. Those emotions cannot be compared with anything, I will look for similar ones for the rest of my life.»
The head of the Russian Ski Racing Federation, Elena Vyalbe, arrived in Sochi immediately after the birth of her daughter Varvara. She could not leave the children at the home Olympics without maternal supervision. And it is not just words. She has admitted more than once that skiers are like children for her. And sometimes even more than family.
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“I’m an emotional and sentimental person,” Vyalbe admitted. “I didn’t see the finish itself, I only heard it on the radio, I was standing in a different place. I fell and kissed this ski track. And I still have a lump in my throat. This was the first time in the history of world ski racing that women won the entire podium from one country, men did not.”
But two years after the success, Russian sport found itself in a huge scandal. Grigory Rodchenkov, in an interview with American media, accused Legkov of doping fraud. Richard McLaren's investigation, despite the complete lack of evidence, negated the Russians' successes in Sochi. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) did not bother with its own investigation and suspended Legkov and Vylegzhanin, and in 2017 the International Olympic Committee stripped them of their 2014 Games medals.
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But then ours filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which sided with the Russians.
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"When all these investigations and accusations began, the feeling that everything would be resolved positively, It disappeared every day,” recalls Legkov. — I had fear. But in all these meetings and hearings, I saw that people sincerely responded to my words. In general, I had to win this medal twice. But the truth has triumphed. It was not easy, but we managed.”
Despite all efforts, over the past ten years, Western colleagues have not managed to desecrate that magnificent victory of Russian sports. So now Legkov can rightfully call himself a two-time Olympic champion. He won one gold on the track. And the second is in the war with WADA and the IOC.
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