Bolshenkov confirmed his star status, Stepanova is “playing truant”, and Tatarstan is reaping the benefits
Bolshenkov confirmed his star status, Stepanova is “playing truant”, and Tatarstan is reaping the benefits
The sixth stage of the Russian Cup in cross-country skiing has ended in the Kazan settlement of Mirny. This year's competitions were held with a less star-studded lineup than last year due to the participation of some athletes in international events. Daria Nepryaeva and Saveliy Korostelev were absent due to their participation in international starts, Natalya Terentyeva is on maternity leave, Anastasia Faleeva fell ill, and Sergey Ustyugov is intensively preparing for the Russian championship, avoiding appearances. Veronika Stepanova and Alexander Bolshenkov were expected to carry the burden, but only the latter succeeded. The report from the scene is in the “Realnoe Vremya” material.
The hotel will be built
Let's start with cross-country skiing insights. On Wednesday, after the pre-start press conference, two pressing topics were discussed. Everyone was worried about whether a hotel would be built in Mirny for skiers and whether Tatarstan was satisfied with the stars signed to the Tatarstan team last year. Regarding the first issue, it was stated at the briefing that the construction had been postponed to an indefinite date. However, the plans have changed. Recently, Rustam Minnikhanov visited the ski and biathlon complex in Mirny. As a result of the meeting, the head of the republic gave the go-ahead to allocate land for the construction of a hotel.
«The day before yesterday, Rustam Nurgalievich Minnikhanov visited here and, having seen the level of organization, decided to allocate a land plot for the construction of a hotel. Also, a mobile service center will be purchased for the Tatarstan team, which will be a big advantage for our skiers,» the correspondent of «Realnoe Vremya» reports the words of Ilshat Fardiev, head of the Tatarstan Cross-Country Skiing Federation (TCSF).
The construction of the hotel will finalize the process of turning Kazan into the best place for cross-country skiing competitions in Russia. But the republican authorities do not intend to stop there. According to «Realnoe Vremya», the complex in Mirny will be upgraded for biathletes in the near future. The head of the Russian Biathlon Federation, Viktor Maigurov, will arrive in the capital of the republic at the end of January to discuss the details. This season, Tatarstan will host the national biathlon championship, and next year they plan to apply to host a stage of the Russian Cup. So the hotel should become a serious help for two Tatarstan federations representing popular sports.
Bolshenkov and Stepanova
Regarding the second topic, the talks intensified due to Alexander Bolshenkov's secretive arrival in Kazan. The gossip continued when Veronika Stepanova declared war on writing journalists after finishing fourth in the first race of the stage and left the competition altogether. Such incidents hit the reputation of the Tatarstan federation hard. Tatarstan has spent significant funds to invite stars, and they provoke scandal after scandal.
But in reality, the situation is different. Bolshenkov and Stepanova allowed the local federation to make a qualitative leap in development. The republic loves star athletes: stadiums are filled, more children are sent to sports sections, and people begin to follow their favorites. Today, Bolshenkov, in anticipation of the award ceremony, admitted to Fardiev that he is surprised by how much Kazan fans love him.
San Sanych did not disappoint on the track. The three-time Olympic champion won two out of three races at the Kazan stage. The victory in the skiathlon was convincing — he finished in glorious solitude, with a 20-second lead. He was unlucky only in the sprint, but it is unlikely that the skier was upset by this defeat.
And Stepanova met with Minnikhanov before leaving. The meeting was beneficial for all parties. It is from such unnoticeable little things that the overall picture is formed. According to «Realnoe Vremya», the federation considers cooperation with stars to be successful and expects to continue working in this direction.
Girls left without medals
At the Russian Cup stage in Kazan, the Tatarstan women's team underperformed a bit. In three races, Tatarstan skiers did not win a single medal. Stepanova took only fourth place in the individual race, and the national champion Lidia Gorbunova kept walking around the podium but could not reach the coveted top three.
After the skiathlon, everyone rushed to Fardiev for a comment. But the head of the Tatarstan Ski Federation was adamant: the lack of medals is not a failure.
«We are very pleased with the performance of the girls. The competition is high now, others were just stronger,» Fardiev said.
The reasons for the no-medal performance were уважительные. The leading skier Daria Nepryaeva left to defend the honor of the country at international starts. The leader of the Russian team, Olympic champion Natalya Terentyeva, who competes in domestic races for Tatarstan, went on maternity leave for the second time. And the country's best sprinter, Anastasia Faleeva, could not come to Mirny due to illness.
However, for victory in the overall team standings at the end of the season, it is more important to get into the top 30. The Tatarstan team closely monitors this indicator, not just medals.
Neutral status
Of course, there was a lot of talk in Mirny about the return of our skiers to the international arena. During the skiathlon, accredited persons at the finish line followed two races at once — Bolshenkov's finish and Korostelev's result at the World Cup stage in Oberhof. Saveliy and Daria Nepryaeva remain the only Russian skiers who have received neutral status to compete in the World Cup.
Others are currently being refused. Sergey Ardashev, Sergey Volkov, Alina Peklesova, Ivan Gorbunov — the list is growing every day. Yevgenia Krupitskaya and others are waiting for a response. But the head of the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Federation (RCSF), Elena Vyalbe, is sure that no one else will receive neutral status.
«Those who could have received neutral status have already done so. No one else will receive it,» Vyalbe clearly closed the topic.
Earlier, after the women's race, four-time Olympic champion Nikolai Zimyatov gave some hope to the fans. The honored veteran, in a conversation with journalists, dropped the «base» — Bolshenkov could get a wild card to participate in the Olympics.
«I'll check with Elena Vyalbe whether the federation is dealing with this issue, but Alexander Bolshenkov should have the opportunity to compete in the Olympics as the current Olympic champion. The Olympic Committee usually invites champions to the Games. I think they will solve the visa issue in the end. Moreover, the Olympics will be held in Italy, where they have a more favorable attitude towards us,» Zimyatov said.
A journalist from «Realnoe Vremya» also asked Vyalbe about this. Bolshenkov does not and never had such an opportunity. Such invitations are given only at world championships, and only to world champions. No personalized quotas are given for the Olympic Games.
So this season, Russian skiers will end with domestic competitions. A full return to the world stage will begin only in six months, when the majority have undergone the required number of doping controls abroad.