The Russian Ski Cup ended on Sunday with the Final in Murmansk region. Sports sums up the results of the tournament and talks about the most interesting events of the past season.
It turns out interesting. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) is mired in internal squabbles. At the same time, the Russian ski season, under conditions of isolation, turned out to be truly self-sufficient. Previously, out of habit, I had to look back at the World Cup, where the path to Russia was closed. Now the news from the category “Klebo won the marathon for the first time” brings an ironic smile.
Bolshunov: a skating rink for the season Summing up the results of the year, Alexander Bolshunov and his phenomenal winning streak must be put in first place. Before the start of the winter season, no one could have predicted such success. A very serious injury, it would seem, could have completely put an end to the career of the three-time Olympic champion, but that was not the case. As a result, he won the overall standings of the Russian Cup.
In addition, he became the best in both the sprint and distance competitions. And that is not all. Four gold medals of the Russian Championship and five gold medals of the All-Russian Spartakiad, all of this is Bolshunov’s success. Don't forget about the aforementioned series of 23 personal victories in a row.
Kuleshova: comeback of the year At the end of last season, Anastasia Kuleshova made a loud comeback after a break in her career. This year, the 2018 Olympic bronze medalist proved that such talent is difficult to bury. Proof of this was the gold at the Spartakiad in Tyumen (skiathlon) and two victories at the Russian Championship (skiathlon and 10 km classic time trial). In the overall standings of the Russian Cup, Kuleshova lost only to Veronica Stepanova.
Separately, I would like to highlight Elizaveta Pantrina. The 22-year-old skier loudly declared herself at last year's Russian Championship (two victories and three podiums). This season she has added stability, and her versatility has allowed the athlete to climb into the top three in the overall standings.
Korostelev: from a budding leader Savely Korostelev quite recently “traveled” in the information space due to his star name. Now the 20-year-old athlete has firmly secured the title of one of the leaders of the Russian national team, so unloved by some. Now he is a two-time Russian champion. If we talk about the overall standings of the Russian Cup, Korostelev is second, in distance races he is also second, and in the sprint he is third.
““This is more inspiration, you need to be able to filter information,” Korostelev responded to the words that in the future, he will become Bolshunov's main opponent. “It’s cool when they talk about you, when you create reasons yourself, take medals. It definitely doesn’t bother me.”
Continuing the theme of the most progressive skiers: this is Daria Nepryaeva. Yes, she doesn’t have any major victories yet, but the podiums are finally coming. She is no longer just Nepryaeva Jr., but, like Korostelev, a completely self-sufficient athlete. Let us also note Dmitry Puzanov. The 18-year-old skier, who took bronze in the sprint at the Russian Cup Final, immediately won the hearts of the fans. But for now, such praise is just an advance.
Minus Terentyev Since we're talking about the Nepryaevs, Natalia was really missed last season. Not the best emotional and physical state affected her preparation for the winter competitions, which it was decided to skip. Fortunately, even without her there was someone to create a competitive environment. But the presence of Natalia Terentyeva on the track would still add beauty and intrigue to the season.
Yulia Stupak had a downright disastrous year in terms of sports. But it is unlikely that she was upset by the failures at those rare starts in which she took part. Apparently, she just needed to breathe out and live a little for her own pleasure. It seemed that Sergei Ustyugov would follow the same path, but the latter still managed to take a couple of podiums.
Result: an exciting season, full of intrigue and interesting competition. The natural beauty of the places where the starts took place is beyond any doubt. Europe often rests. The infrastructure is up to par. Financial component – no problems with sponsors, excellent prize money. Competition? Yes, it could have been higher, but for competitions within one country it’s very good. Plus, there is huge interest from fans and excellent TV broadcasts. It turns out that we are coping well without the World Cup?
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