Extended Russian podium and Bolshunov's record

This season, skiers pay special attention to races from a separate start at 15 and 10 km skating.

This discipline was included in the program of the World Cup in Oberstdorf, but it was difficult to rehearse it in the World Cup.

The organizers provided only three opportunities - at the stage in Davos, as part of the January Tour de Ski, and at the competitions in Nove Mesto right before the championship of the planet.

Moreover, only the last start of these three will bring together the really best skiers and determine the balance of power in the world.

The Norwegians will not play until February, and the Finns and Swedes have not sent their teams to Switzerland.

Of the leaders in cross-country skiing at all three stages, only Russians will compete, and they could consider the stage in Davos as a kind of championship for the right to represent the team at the World Championship.

From the very first kilometers, the advantage of the Russians over the rest of the participants became visible to the naked eye.

Leadership was alternately tried on by Evgeny Belov, then Andrei Melnichenko, and then the owner of the yellow T-shirt, Alexander Bolshunov.

Only the Swiss Dario Cologna, the winner of three Olympics in the cut, provided them with real competition.

But after the eighth kilometer out of 15, he slowed down and did not intervene in the disassembly of the Russians.

Throughout the race, Bolshunov only increased his advantage over Melnichenko, and he tried to keep silver for himself in the fight against Artyom Maltsev, who accelerated in the middle of the distance.

Gradually, the two-time Universiade champion Ivan Yakimushkin joined the fight for medals, but he did not eliminate the gap of several seconds.

Bolshunov won a convincing victory and repeated the record of Bjorn Daly and Martin Yunsrud Sundby for won distance races during the calendar year.

This success was the eighth for the 23-year-old Russian in 2020.

He will not be able to surpass the achievement of the Norwegians - only the sprint stage in Dresden is planned before the Tour de Ski.

Melnichenko retained second place and won another silver this season - previously he was already a medalist of a 15-kilometer freestyle race, but as part of a pursuit on a mini-tour in Ruka.

For Maltsev, the bronze became the first personal medal of the World Cup in his career.

Interestingly, although all three cut-up winners represent the same country, they train under the guidance of different coaches.

Yakishukin (4th), Denis Spitsov (9th) and Alexey Chervotkin (10th) were also in the top ten.

Concluding Davos Nordic with an all Russian 🇷🇺podium🔥


Alexander Bolshunov taking the lead with a margin of 32 seconds!

Andrey Melnichenko and Artem Maltsev defended their well deserved podium spots to 4th places team colleague Ivan Yakimushkin.

#fiscrosscountry 📷NordicFocus pic.twitter.com/haPchbcEJf

- FIS Cross-Country (@FISCrossCountry) December 13, 2020

First Stupak medal and double sensation from the USA

In the women's competition, the Russians were also undisputed contenders for medals, but the American Rosie Brennen intended to compete with them.

She not only won the Davos sprint, but she also won bronze in the 10-kilometer pursuit in Ruka, if only net race time is taken into account.

The 32-year-old athlete lost then only to the Norwegians Teresa Johaug and Helene Vossesholm, who were absent in Switzerland.

The leaders of the Russian national team Yulia Stupak and Tatyana Sorina started later Brennen and could be guided by her results.

Natalya Nepryaeva got an earlier number, and she had to run almost blindly, independently distributing forces along the distance.

Nepryaeva thought in advance how to run, and in the first cut-off allowed herself to yield to less titled skiers, but on the last loop she easily got out to first place, ahead of the intermediate leader Jessica Diggins from the USA.

Brennen, as expected, picked up a crazy pace from the start and became the leader at every time slot.

In the first laps, only Stupak and the Austrian Teresa Stadlober managed to stay close to her, losing about ten seconds.

Sorina was in the top five for some time, but after the first third of the distance she no longer noticeably accelerated.

Another American, Hayley Suirbul, became an unexpected troublemaker.

Her time at the 5 km mark could not be surpassed by either Stadlober or Sorina, and Stupak won less than eight seconds from her.

At the finish line, the 22-year-old skier even displaced Nepryaeva from the first line - they were separated by only 4.3 seconds.

Brennen naturally bypassed her compatriot, but Stadlober could not repeat this, and Suirbul guaranteed herself the first medal in her career.

One of the Russian skiers definitely received one award, and Stupak became its owner.

She finished second 34 seconds behind Brennen, sending Nepryaeva to fourth place.

For the skier, who previously performed under the name of Belorukov, this award was the first after giving birth.

Sorina showed the final sixth result.

In the overall and distance off the World Cup, she is in second place, and Brennen will try on a yellow and red jersey at the next stage in Dresden.

Rosie Brennan is on 🔥and wins todays 10km F by a margin of 34 seconds! Yulia Stupak reports back in fantastic shape, taking the 2nd rank before Hailey Swirbul completes the podium on the same course where she scored her first points last year! #fiscrosscountry 📷 NordicFocus pic.twitter.com/w98F93B7xM

- FIS Cross-Country (@FISCrossCountry) December 13, 2020