Skiers Korostelev and Nepryaeva returned to the World Cup, but what’s next?
Ardashev, Bolshunov and others remain without world starts
The main sports topic of the past week was the return of Russian skiers to the international arena. For now, only in neutral status, but this is definitely a step forward for Russian cross-country skiing. The first to return to the world starts were two representatives of the Tatarstan team — Saveliy Korostelev and Darya Nepryaeva. However, another Tatarstan skier received a refusal, but Sergey Ardashev is not discouraged and, on an emotional high, won all the races at the Russian Cup stage in Chusovoy. What is happening in Russian cross-country skiing at the end of the year — in the material of Realnoe Vremya.
Korostelev and Nepryaeva returned to the World Cup
It happened! Russian skiers have finally returned to the World Cup. This happened after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favour of Russia in a lawsuit against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) on December 2. The claims of the Russian side were found to be justified, and the athletes were ordered to be allowed to compete. In turn, FIS not only returned Russians and Belarusians, but also threatened sanctions for their possible discrimination.
However, only neutral status was allowed to compete, and not everyone can get it. The requirements are strict, both in terms of documentation and finances. For example, athletes need to pay 2,000 francs (approximately 200,000 rubles) to submit an application, which is not affordable for everyone. Interestingly, if the decision is negative, the money is not refunded to the applicant.
The first skiers in Russia to receive neutral status were Saveliy Korostelev and Darya Nepryaeva, the winners of the overall standings of the national Cup last season. Both represent the Tatarstan team in domestic competitions. Although this is nothing more than an interesting detail, the Tatarstan federation did not take any decisive action to obtain the status.
As a result, Korostelev and Nepryaeva managed to enter the World Cup stage in Davos, Switzerland. The Russians took part in the sprint and individual races. Neither Korostelev nor Nepryaeva were able to get close to the medal positions, but they completed their main task. Both Russian skiers won four quotas to participate in the 2026 Olympic Games.
Ardashev «recouped» the costs of applying to FIS
At the same time, another stage of the Russian Cup took place in Chusovoy, Perm. In the men’s part of the competition, Tatarstan athlete Sergey Ardashev had no equals. In the absence of Korostelev, he won all three races. First, he won the 15-kilometre classic race, then won the sprint, and finally beat everyone in the pursuit.
The stage in Chusovoy became a sort of outlet for Ardashev. Shortly before the start, he received a refusal on his application for neutral status. No one explained the reasons for this decision to the athlete. At the same time, with three victories at the Russian Cup, the skier recouped all the costs of applying to FIS and even ended up with a small profit. For three victories in Chusovoy, Ardashev earned 300,000 rubles. But now he can temporarily forget about returning to international competitions. Without neutral status, there is no chance of performing at world starts.
In the women’s part of the competition, Veronika Stepanova had no equals. The Olympic champion from the Tatarstan team managed to win two out of three races at the stage in Chusovoy, and also took second place in the 10-kilometre classic race. The leader of Russian cross-country skiing is slowly regaining her magnificent sporting form after giving birth to a child. Her main focus remains the Russian championship at the end of February. By that time, she should be 100% ready.
In the overall standings of the men’s races of the Russian Cup, Sergey Ardashev is in the lead. His lead over the nearest rival, Pavel Solovyov, has already grown to an indecent (for recent years) 185 points. Among women, Evgeniya Krupitskaya continues to lead (410 points), followed by Alina Peklesova (335). Stepanova has already made it into the top 5, closing the «top five» together with another Olympic champion, Tatyana Sorina — they have 242 points each.
Things are not going well for Bolshunov
Another Olympic champion, Alexander Bolshunov, is having a rather modest season for himself. The most « ярких» moment for him was a recent scandal with skier Alexander Bakurov. The incident cost Bolshunov a suspension with an open-ended date (until the injured party recovers), but his reputation suffered the most. It got to the point where even teammates from the Tatarstan team spoke out against his actions.
From a sporting point of view, Bolshunov did not have a very successful stage in Chusovoy. In the 15-kilometre classic race, he took fifth place, letting ahead his Tatarstan team mate Ardashev, two Tyumen athletes Ivan Yakimushkin and Alexey Chervotkin, as well as Ilya Semikov from Komi. In the sprint, the champion did not even make it to the final. And only in the pursuit race on Sunday, Bolshunov made it to the podium. He lost only to Ardashev, although the gap was significant — 34 seconds. In the overall standings of the Russian Cup, Alexander is already in third place, with 276 points. But we should not forget that Korostelev was not in Chusovoy, and the last year’s winner of the standings did not earn any points.
Here the question is more about the motivation of the Olympic champion. No one hides the fact that Bolshunov has practically no chance of getting neutral status. The leader of Russian cross-country skiing openly supported the current government, which, according to the FIS leadership, is unacceptable under any circumstances. This is the moment that may affect Alexander’s future. Will one of the best skiers in the world be able to withstand a situation where his Russian colleagues have already been returned to the world stage, but he has been deprived of the opportunity to perform?
What’s next?
In the light of the return of Russian skiers to the world stage, from now on, reviews of cross-country skiing will have to take into account international starts as well. The next stage of the Russian Cup will take place in Izhevsk from December 20 to 21. Russian athletes who have received neutral status will definitely be absent there. Obviously, Korostelev, Nepryaeva and other Russian skiers will choose the opportunity to compete with athletes from other countries. In addition, the legendary Tour de Ski will be held in Italy from December 28 to January 4. Such events are usually not missed.
At least Korostelev’s plans have already been confirmed by the senior coach of the Russian national team, Yegor Sorin. According to him, the skier is counting on participating in the Tour de Ski, and will train for it in Italy.
«Next up is preparation for the Tour de Ski. Saveliy will train in Italy. We don’t expect any results from him. The main task is adaptation,» said Yegor Sorin, senior coach of the Russian national team, to Sport24.
As for the prospects of leading Russian skiers participating in the Russian Cup stage in Kazan, not everything is so clear yet. The races here overlap with the World Tour stage in Oberhof, Germany. But there is still some chance to see Korostelev, Nepryaeva and others. It’s not for nothing that they play for the Tatarstan team.