"When we are pressed, we become stronger": how we reacted to Bolshunov's victory in Falun after the conflicts in Lahti

"There is the Lord God, justice has triumphed"

The victory of Alexander Bolshunov in the starting race of the World Cup stage in Falun was great news for domestic fans.

The Russian managed to recover after an unsuccessful performance in Lahti, which was more remembered by conflicts with the Norwegians and Finns, and again took first place.

After finishing, the athlete admitted that what happened last week only made him stronger.

“This is the best answer.

When we are pressed and criticized, we become stronger.

Guys, do more, and I will become stronger and prove with results.

I went out with thoughts to run and show a decent result.

Today the coldest conditions, I don’t know, probably for three years, when I participate in the World Cup.

The weather and the track are stable, the only thing is that the slopes have deteriorated a little.

In the last laps it was very dangerous to turn.

In the "cut-up" you run alone, show all the power that you are capable of and ready for.

Thanks to those who support.

Thanks to those who don't support.

Thank you all, ”Bolshunov said on the air of the Match TV channel.

The coach of the Russian national team Yuri Borodavko was also delighted with the performance of the ward.

According to him, Alexander on Friday fought only with himself, although at the finish he was only 1.8 seconds behind Simen Hegstad Kruger.

“Bolshunov managed to snatch the finish line from Kruger.

If he started from behind, the fight would have turned out somewhat different.

Sasha showed his level after the "Tour de Ski", where psychological and physical fatigue rolled over.

Even after the strongest stress in Lahti, he managed to pull himself together and show good results, "- quotes the words of the expert" Championship ".

And the president of the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Federation (FLGR) Elena Vyalbe admitted that she was proud of Bolshunov.

“I hope it will be the same in the future.

Each victory adds self-confidence, I think Sasha has now gained it, he is already a very experienced athlete, not the same as he was in 2018, for example.

I wish him good luck and every success, ”the R-Sport functionary is quoted as saying.

Finally, the athlete's father, Alexander Bolshunov Sr., was glad that his son, despite conflicts with opponents in Lahti, "had a decent race."

“The negative pressure was on him, but today he showed a fair fight.

There were rivals who followed Sasha's time, but they could not get around it.

There is God, justice has triumphed, we didn't have to wait long, ”the man said in an interview with TASS.

"I was strictly ordered not to go forward"

900 meters before the finish, Simen Hegstad Kruger even reduced the gap from the Russian to 0.7 seconds.

However, Alexander passed the last part of the distance better.

The Norwegian could only be assured that he did his best to win, but in the fight against the leader of the overall standings of the World Cup, this was not enough.

“I was close to winning.

But when there was so little left to the goal, I still wanted to overtake him.

You still need to rejoice.

This is definitely my best achievement at the moment ”, - quotes the words of the NRK athlete.

The rest of the Norwegians lost even more to Bolshunov.

Sure Röthe, who showed the third result, lost 23.9 seconds to Alexander, and Hans Christer Holund, who finished fourth, was 25.1 seconds behind.

Failed to impose the fight on the domestic skier and Johannes Klebo, who returned to the CM.

The current owner of the Big Crystal Globe started a minute behind the formidable opponent, but managed to get around him at a distance.

After the race, the Scandinavian admitted that he did not seek to bypass Bolshunov due to the instructions of the coaches.

“I was strictly ordered not to get ahead.

It was necessary to stay behind and not contribute to his dash.

Just stay behind, ”Klebo explained.

Even more unsuccessful was Yoni Mäki.

In the final protocol, he took only 68th place, 4.5 minutes behind Alexander.

After the race, the Finn said that he had to close comments on his Instagram page due to the large number of messages from Russian fans, and also stressed that he had accepted Bolshunov's apology.

"Conflicts with Norwegians and Finns definitely made Bolshunov angrier"

Experts also rejoiced at the victory of the Russian.

In their opinion, Alexander's conflicts with rivals in Lahti did not affect the athlete in any way, but, on the contrary, made him stronger.

In particular, this point of view was expressed by the former coach of the Russian national team Nikolai Lopukhov.

“He is a strong athlete.

It is difficult to say whether what happened will make Bolshunov angrier, but he himself gave an exhaustive answer to this in an interview after the race.

He said that when the Russians are pinned down, they only get stronger.

That is life.

Nothing new happened.

Of course, it is unpleasant that such a scandal flared up in cross-country skiing, ”the specialist said in an interview with RT.

The coach also stressed that the excellent work of the skis, which brought him to Lahti, helped Bolshunov to win in Falun. 

“Everything worked out just fine.

I did not even doubt that after all the troubles that Sasha got into, he would be able to prove himself.

Yes, everything happens in cross-country skiing, but Bolshunov is well prepared, and the one who is well prepared wins.

At the previous stage in Lahti, Alexander's skis did not work well.

They were not in the best condition for the whole team.

In Falun, such problems did not arise, ”added Lopukhov.

As a fly in the ointment at the end of the race, the coach called the not the most successful performance of the rest of the Russians, who failed to impose on the Norwegians the fight for medals.   

“Now, in fact, Norwegian skiers are in the first row, and then ours.

But Sasha stands out from this company and helps the team out.

Sports are unpredictable.

Today his skis were a little better prepared, and he won.

Nevertheless, it can be assumed that at the World Championship Bolshunov will fight for prizes.

I would like the rest of the guys to be able to do this.

So far, unfortunately, they are not ready, ”Lopukhov summed up.

In turn, the medalist of the Olympic Games in Sochi, Alexander Bessmertnykh, also admitted that he initially did not doubt the successful performance of the domestic skier in Falun.

“Sasha is a high-level athlete.

It was expected that after everything that had happened to him, he would get together and achieve victory.

There is nothing unusual about this.

I was sure that he would succeed.

And the conflicts with the Norwegians and Finns definitely made Bolshunov angrier.

I know him as a person, not so well, but I am sure that with his experience he treated everything correctly.

I think that very few people in Russia can get this way at all, ”the expert noted in an interview with RT.

At the same time, he urged not to inflate the topic of the conflict between the leader of the overall ranking of the CM with rivals.

According to him, scandals such as those that occurred in Lahti, as a rule, do not happen very often.

“You shouldn't think that unsportsmanlike behavior is around the bush in skiing, although, of course, this is annoying.

I am sure that we will not see any special provocations against Bolshunov from our rivals.

These are isolated cases that happen once a season, or even in a career.

There are no problems between the athletes, just everyone picked up the topic of the conflict and began to discuss it, ”Bessmertnykh explained.

Like Lopukhov, the Olympic medalist called the main secret of Alexander's success on Friday, good skiing.

“Sasha's physical condition can be called stable, as before.

It is still difficult to say whether any of the Russians will be able to compete for medals at the World Cup.

I think yes.

There is still time.

Many athletes are purposefully preparing for the championship of the planet, so you shouldn't pay too much attention to the results of the WC stages.

But the yellow jersey of the leader of the overall standings of the tournament belongs to Bolshunov, which means that he is stronger than everyone else, ”Bessmertnykh summed up.

In turn, the Olympic champion and commentator Alexander Legkov stressed that the Russian had done his job in the individual race by 100%.

However, in his opinion, the two-time winner of the Tour De Ski will face a difficult struggle with the Norwegians in the future.

“Everything became clear, you can talk as much as you like.

There are facts, and the results tell everything.

And it is clear who would have won at the finish in Lahti.

Kruger could get it in the last kilometers, Röthe added well too.

We need to prepare for the fact that the Norwegians are able to add, they had small gaps from Sasha today, ”Sport24 quotes Legkov.

Finally, Sergei Kryanin, head coach of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug national skiing team, was glad that Bolshunov had enough strength for the finish line.

“He proved that he is on a level and that other athletes should be afraid of him.

It's not for nothing that he wears a yellow jersey.

It's good that the Norwegians have returned, the struggle has intensified even more.

I saw how many doubted Bolshunov after the Scandinavians returned, but from my bell tower I always root for ours.

I know the character of the guys.

They are always customizable and given one hundred percent.

The preparation was done correctly.

Absolutely everyone can fight for the first place, ”the specialist noted.