Bolshunov suffers pain, Ustyugov runs separately: “Sudden movements are dangerous”

Not just one gate

Three-time Olympic champion Alexander Bolshunov began the fight for the Russian Cup with a victory in the 15 km freestyle race with a time trial. On the podium he found himself in company with Artem Maltsev and Savely Korostelev. The leader won Artem by 6 seconds, Savely lost a little more than 19 seconds.

Bolshunov was the last to enter the distance. And he lost to his opponents only at the first cutoff – a second. But then everything was as usual: control and even pace. Yes, San Sanych did not win, as he knows how, with a clear (or very clear) advantage. Senior coach of the national team Yuri Borodavko admits that it is difficult to say how the race would have turned out if not for Alexander’s recent injury. “Perhaps there wouldn’t be such a high level of competition, but I wouldn’t want to talk in the subjunctive mood.” And he admitted that San Sanych won “by more than one wicket.”

Artem Maltsev prepared himself (and him) for the fight with Bolshunov: he put on a lucky cap. She has been with him for many years and has become a kind of “weapon”. “Well, that’s it, we’ve arrived! You don’t have to go to the start,” Bolshunov laughed, having been warned by Maltsev that the cap would be “in the game.” And, as experts know, you should always be wary of Maltsev in skating races. On Thursday he lost to Bolshunov quite narrowly.

Alexander received a back injury back in August. I haven’t been training to my full potential the entire time; there were restrictions everywhere: in running, jumping training, strength exercises, and speed work. For three months, by my own admission, I didn’t skate in the classical style.

At the first stage of the Russian Cup, Alexander was entered into all races, but with a caveat: if he feels discomfort, he will withdraw so as not to aggravate the situation. “Sasha felt good at all training sessions, but there is a certain fear that the pain might return,” says the coach.

After the victory, Bolshunov himself said that he might not have even made it to the first distance: “Yesterday evening participation in the race was in question – I did some work and felt the tension. But we worked with a massage therapist, so far everything is fine after the race.” There is a sprint ahead, but it is “a very big question, there you need to make sudden movements, and this is more dangerous than in distance racing,” Bolshunov said in a broadcast of the competition of the “On the Skis!” project, organized by the FLGR.

Alexey Chervotkin and Alexey Yakimushkin did not participate in the race, and the always troublemaker Sergei Ustyugov was not there. He misses the beginning of the stages of the Russian Cup, is in Syktyvkar, and his plans are to take part in the All-Russian competition “Syktyvkar Ski Track”. Over the weekend there will be free and classic style cutting events. Ustyugov, having spent the last season noisily and effectively, decided to repeat just such a start (he won at both distances in Syktyvkar).

Stepanova firmly grasped the sticks

For women, Natalia Terentyeva (Nepryaeva), Yulia Stupak, and Tatyana Sorina missed the start of the season. Of the golden Olympic four, Veronika Stepanova competed in the first race of the first stage of the Russian Cup, and she won. And here is where there is a clear advantage.

Unlike Bolshunov, Veronica already passed the first cutoff faster than anyone else by a few seconds, and then she only increased her lead. The result is 30 seconds from second place. And on it was 17-year-old Alina Pekletsova, who already collected professional bonuses last season. Maria Istomina came third.

Of course, you always want the strongest to sort things out on the ski track, and everyone will be looking forward to the season, for example, the confrontation between Terentyeva and Stepanova. (Natalia is recovering from a shoulder injury and for now doctors are limiting her loads, as Coach Borodavko says, even in speed training. It’s hard to say when she will start.) But this does not detract from Veronica’s victory “here and now.” And she completed the task for the race one hundred percent.

And the task, according to coach Egor Sorin, was not specific seconds, but comparison with rivals on a “live” ski track, for example, with the same Pekletsova, who had already shown her speed at one of the starts a week ago. Then Stepanova did not compete, and in the time trial of the first stage of the Russian Cup, according to the mentor, everything went calmly, as it should have been. “I knew that if Veronica didn’t lose from the start, then she wouldn’t.”

Although before the race everything did not go as we would like. During training, Stepanova fell on the descent and bruised her arm. Even though they were afraid of a dislocation, they took a picture, but it turned out that the athlete had sprained her ligaments. The question was whether there would be enough time before the race for the pain to go away and Veronica to be able to hold the stick tightly.

Ekaterina Nikitina, another junior who makes people talk about herself, was unable to hold third place in this race. Shortly before the finish, Katya and Maria Istomina walked almost identically. Istomina won the final segment, but lost to the champion by 54.8 seconds.

First stage of the Russian Cup

November 25

Sprint, freestyle. Qualifications – 7:00, finals – 9:00.

November 26

Time trial, classic style.

Women, 10 km –7:00.

Men, 15 km – 8:45.