"Getting into the jury room is a difficult moment"

On March 13 and 14, the last stage of the World Cup in cross-country skiing will take place in Endagin, Switzerland, after which the international season in this sport will come to an end.

The athletes were left to compete for medals, cup points and prize money in the 15 and 10 km mass starts in the classic style, and then in the 50 and 30 km long distance pursuit races in the skating style.

The final start of the season will take place just a week after the World Cup, and all the main characters from the recent competition in Oberstdorf, including the winner of the Big Crystal Globe Alexander Bolshunov and nine-time world champion Johannes Klebo from Norway, are planning to come to it.

Saturday's mass start will be their first meeting after the controversial marathon.

Shortly before the competition in Endagin, Klebo talked to Norwegian journalists and talked about what happened during the finish of the 50-kilometer race and after it.

He noted that waiting for a decision on his disqualification was the worst moment of his career.

“I have never watched the finish video since I was in the jury room.

For my part, I want to finish the marathon and look ahead.

I never thought that I would spend so much energy on such a race.

Probably the worst was the expectation.

I went to the finish line and asked what happened.

I was told that everything is fine.

We wait a few more minutes, and this is perhaps the worst.

Getting into the jury room is a difficult moment, then I just had to pull myself together and leave, ”Klebo told NRK.

The athlete admitted that when he learned about the deprivation of the gold medal, he was angry and disappointed.

However, his coach Arild Monsen was able to calm him down.

Klebo also noted that although he remained offended by the decision of the International Ski Federation (FIS), he no longer intends to make claims against it.

“Then, probably, I could not think so rationally.

I focused on objects that could hit or break.

I was helped by Monsen, who came a few hours later.

He said the right things that made me come to dinner with the rest of the team to celebrate the fantastic world championship ... Who is right - me or the FIS - that I will surely take with me to my grave.

We cannot agree on everything, so I will not walk here holding my grudge.

I have to focus on my business and on what I can influence, and I definitely will not do anything with FIS, ”added Klebo.

The Norwegian also spoke about his attitude towards Bolshunov, with whom he will hold two more races this season.

Klebo noted that he would continue to try to defeat the Russian.

“I will treat Bolshunov as before.

We will be racing with him for many years to come.

He is a good skier that I hope I can beat.

So let's hope that this situation will not happen again ... ”, Klebo summed up.

"Very smart decision, I take off my hat to Klebo"

A day earlier, the Norwegian skier refused to continue the proceedings with the FIS for disqualification and asked his federation to withdraw the appeal.

Many experts from the world of cross-country skiing appreciated this act.

So, the Norwegian expert Torgeir Bjorn said that the main thing in this whole story is that Klebo, even without a medal won, proved to be a good marathon runner.

“In any case, such a gold medal would have left a residue.

The most important thing that Johannes proved to himself is that he can compete in a marathon.

I think that after the decision to withdraw the appeal, Johannes' reputation will only get better.

In any case, there was little chance of winning the appeal, ”Bjorn said.

1989 World Champion Harry Kirvesniemi also praised Klebo for refusing to appeal.

The former Finnish skier noted that after passing 50 km, the Norwegian would still not be able to impose a fight at the finish on Bolshunov.

“A very smart decision, I take off my hat to Klebo.

There would be no winner in the decision that followed.

According to many, the situation would have remained unresolved.

Although the Norwegians tried to find more information, they realized that their arguments were weak.

The skier running behind must not interfere with the one running in front.

Bolshunov read Klebo like an open book.

Since they ran 50 km, it is unlikely that Klebo's finish would have been as strong as usual, and Bolshunov is always strong in spurt, ”Kirvesniemi said to Ilta-Sanomat.

The Russian team also reacted positively to Klebo's desire to end the story with a disqualification.

Coach Yegor Sorin said that Bolshunov himself did not want the judges to consider the finishing incident between them.

“He did the right thing.

I am sure that initially the appeal was not his initiative.

In the same way as here, it was not Sasha Bolshunov who asked for a protest.

If no one had filed this protest, he himself would not have raised a fuss.

Athletes wrestle on the track, and then the work of the team representatives begins.

We did what we had to do, and so did the Norwegians.

They have their own position, we have ours.

But athletes, as a rule, do not need this.

Klebo is a strong skier, he knows that he has everything ahead.

And I absolutely agree with him that it is better to get emotions immediately at the award ceremony, and not after a few days, ”Sorin told Sport-Express.

"Bolshunov takes the rivalry closer to his heart than the Norwegians"

If Klebo was able to get rid of unnecessary pressure from the media before the competition in Endagin, then about Bolshunov - no.

Czech journalist Martin Hasek devoted a column to the confrontation between the two skiers, in which he noted that the sympathy of the fans is unlikely to ever be completely on the side of the Russian.

“On social media, of course, Klebo is a modern sports hero who gets fans (and sponsors) through his lifestyle.

And Bolshunov is a Russian guy who, after the scandal around the state doping system at the Sochi Olympics, is forced to listen to harsh remarks, ”Hasek wrote in iSports.cz.

However, the 2006 Olympic champion Katezhina Neumanova stood up for Bolshunov's defense.

She stated that talk about doping should not concern the Russian skier, since he himself never once gave reason to doubt his reputation.

“It is difficult to suspect me of a great love for Russians.

But Bolshunov performed well even in junior competitions under 23 years old.

He is exceptional.

There was not a single hint that he had a doping problem.

Now he is faced with a wave of criticism, but I disagree with many things, ”said the former skier.

The world champion in the 2003 marathon, Martin Koukal, also spoke in detail about Bolshunov.

He compared the Russian skier to Martin Junsrud Sundby, who has won few individual titles in his distinguished career.

According to the Czech, Bolshunov found himself in the same situation, and this influenced his behavior.

“Rivalry with Klebo is good, but isn't it too much on the part of Bolshunov.

He looks like he can't lose.

When he finished fourth in the sprint, everyone could see how morose he was.

When he was third in the team sprint, he did not even come up to Gleb Retivykh.

I would say that he takes the rivalry closer to his heart than the Norwegians.

Klebo has always won the main starts.

Bolshunov always lost to someone else - Simen Kruger, Dario Cologne, Iivo Niskanen, Shyur Rete.

There was always someone who sentenced him to a silver medal.

In part, Bolshunov reminds me of Sundby, who won the World Cup, but at the main start there was always someone who was better prepared and defeated him.

Until this year, in distance racing, Bolshunov had no rivals for Klebo, but there were others, ”said Koukal.

He also said that the fight between Klebo and Bolshunov will be an adornment of cross-country skiing for many years to come, especially due to the fact that the Norwegian has become better at long distances.

“Johannes has shown that he is progressing.

It could be seen 50 km away.

It was unusual that Bolshunov did not drag the last circle.

They were Norwegians, Bolshunov followed them to the end.

In distance racing, these two can definitely compete with each other.

But Klebo clearly became better in distance in the classics.

Over time, it rises to a higher level.

In the future, the duel between Klebo and Bolshunov will become the culmination of cross-country skiing, ”Koukal is sure.

According to Bolshunov's coach Yuri Borodavko, now the skier is calmly preparing for the next starts.

He also told what happened to Klebo's wedding invitation, which the Russian skier presented to him before the marathon.

“Alexander, of course, was worried, but now he calmed down - you can't live in one race, you need to look ahead.

Klebo is very much afraid of the coronavirus, this can stop him.

Although, I can't get into Johannes's head.

Who knows, maybe he will take it and come.

Alexander definitely did not withdraw the invitation and, as far as I know, he is not going to do this, it remains in force, ”Borodavko said to“ Soviet Sport ”.