Bolshunov reaches thirteen wins in a row, but is starting with a clean slate

No, Alexander Bolshunov does not break the mold. He simply does not change them, personally developed. Well, he also shamelessly gives his opponents a lead in crazy seconds. And then he says: why do you all think that I already have my 13th win of the season in a row? We celebrated the New Year, we start with a clean slate – the first victory. What can I say? As you like, Father Tsar, as you deign to think for yourself, so we will.

The fifth stage of the Russian Cross-Country Cup (at the new ski and biathlon complex in the village of Mirny, which opened in March 2023) promised to be hot. After celebrating the New Year, it’s time for absolutely everyone to follow the call of the holidays that ran across the country under the slogan “Throw in the salad, get on your skis!” And the country’s strongest skiers are generally approaching the main competitions of the season.

True, Yulia Stupak and Sergei Ustyugov, whom rivals and fans had already been waiting for, did not come to the start again. Yulia is unwell, Sergei is training in Syktyvkar. He will miss the Russian Cup stage in Kazan entirely, but in February, according to coach Yegor Sorin, he will compete: “The Spartakiad is the main start of the season for him, Ustyugov is getting ready.” The Terentyev couple, Alexander and Natalya (who has not even started the season yet), are also not performing in Kazan; they have had the flu.

So the questions of last year smoothly moved into the new one – who will stop Bolshunov and how many victories can their rivals take away from Veronica Stepanova?

Before the start in Kazan, coach Yuri Borodavko, probably already tired of “making excuses” for Bolshunov’s gold, said: “There is always competition, every athlete comes out to fight, no one comes out with any other tasks.” And he clarified: Sasha trained normally, there were no complaints, he was ready for the start. And the ski track will show whether there will be medals.

In Kazan, Alexander Bolshunov simply once again overwhelmed his opponents with his talent, winning the 15 km freestyle time trial. He was ahead of silver medalist Artem Maltsev by almost 47 seconds. And then the fans began to scratch their turnips again: somehow it would be too much. True, the competition for prizes among skiers was tough. In third place was Savely Korostelev, who admitted that he actually “went to second place.” And Ivan Gorbunov lost bronze by less than a second. And Savely was surprised that “he was so close.”

However, it made me happy; who among the real pros doesn’t enjoy competition? After all, it is she who throws the leaders onto the ski track and formulates high demands. And now Saveliy Korostelev is already dispelling the dream: “There is room to move on, not a single gold in the season, we must take it!”

And here Artem Maltsev evaluates the award: “Sasha beat me by 47 seconds, that’s a lot, but the rest are even further. So, everything is fine with me.” And he states the first thing, which is obvious to all skiers: “Sasha is five heads taller.” And secondly, personally important: I’m in good condition, I can fight for victory.

Yes, and Bolshunov, after his thirteenth victory in a row, said so: the new year has come and the first victory has come. “Everyone is counting the numbers, but for me every race is a clean slate. Tomorrow is a new leaf. Everyone is making a big deal about it, I don’t count the race. Won – good.”

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Veronika Stepanova in Mirny won the 10 km freestyle race with almost an advantage from Bolshunov: Alina Pekletsova lost 39 seconds, Elizaveta Pantrina – 46.3 seconds.

After the race, Veronica joked: it turns out that she was interested in competing with a snowmobile on the descent, “I won!” And she called the first start a test: who spent the New Year and how, “who ate how many herrings under a fur coat and Olivier.” However, I didn’t forget to clarify that on January 1 at 9 am I was already skiing, which I encouraged everyone to do.

Coach Egor Sorin, as expected, was more serious in his comments: he admitted that there was only one place in the plans for Veronica – the first. But all the athletes completed their tasks; after the New Year, no one lost their condition, and Lisa Pantrina “even began to look better.”

He also admitted that Stepanova, of course, lacks competition. But there is hope that by the time of the Russian Championship and the Spartakiad, the rivals who have returned to duty will already force her to fight. For example, Tatyana Sorina took to the start line in Mirny for the first time after a long break due to injury. And at the distance I have not yet fought for the top three, but have solved other problems.

Tatyana herself, she came eighth in the race, said that due to an injury she had not been on skis since November 27 and literally only on January 1 “she started moving, pushing with her legs.” The injury prevented me from stepping on my leg, all training took place only in the gym. At the end of the year she was riding only on her hands; January was the beginning of full-fledged movement. “Therefore, frankly speaking, I simply don’t have any form now, but there is still time before the main competitions.”