“Iversen as a toastmaster?
He could have done it, but we will not invite him. "
Two-time World Cup winner and world champion Alexander Bolshunov is resting after a busy international season.
On April 24, he will have a wedding with his beloved Anna Zherebyatyeva, the champion of Russia in cross-country skiing.
A native of the Bryansk region said that the celebration will be held in the Norwegian style.
“Anya started preparing six months ago, before the start of the winter season.
I don’t get into this business ... I don’t have a suit yet.
So far, no information has been received from Johannes Klebo about the arrival.
They are still afraid of a pandemic.
Emil Iversen as toastmaster?
He would have done it, but we will not invite him, "Match TV quotes Bolshunov.
However, the season is not over for him yet.
According to Alexander, he intends to run all six races at the national championship, which will be held from March 27 to April 4 in Tyumen, and then take part in the Ugra marathon.
By this time, the Russian must fully recover after the final stage of the WC and the World Cup.
He was pleased with the conquest of the gold championship of the planet in skiathlon, but the absence of other awards of the highest standard, according to the athlete, kept the feeling of understatement.
“Especially if you understand that in a lost race you could have fought not only for the top three, but also won.
At the same time, you understand that you did the wrong thing or chose the wrong decision.
As on the "tag", where I decided to start among the first, although I had to go the distance later, to go according to the time of the main rivals.
Then I took too high a pace and ended up going too fast.
At the end of the race, it was very difficult for me to fight for the top three, "Bolshunov said in an interview with TASS.
The athlete also spoke about the incident with his partner in the Russian national team Gleb Retivykh after the team relay.
Then, at the finish line, the two-time World Cup winner, upset by the lost gold, did not congratulate his compatriot on winning the bronze.
“Nothing special happened there, I congratulated him after ... I left and did not even see how the race was going.
After the race, we congratulated each other on its end, everything is fine.
There was nothing that the Norwegians saw, ”added the skier.
In general, Alexander is not very happy with the large number of scandals that flared up around him last season.
According to the athlete, he does not want such fame at all.
“Dmitry Guberniev would probably say that we do, but I definitely don’t need scandals,” the athlete admitted.
"He is a healthy man, he will decide for himself how to spend his money"
In Russia, the words of Bolshunov about the purchase of a treadmill for practicing skiing technology caused a serious response.
Alexander noted that he was ready to spend all € 120 thousand in prize money for participation in the KM.
This recognition did not leave indifferent Dmitry Svishchev, a member of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, who had previously called for the presentation of the world champion for a state award.
The deputy promised to send a request to the Ministry of Sports to consider the possibility of finding funds to purchase this simulator.
“I will definitely contact Elena Vyalbe.
She will advise me on what kind of supercar it is, why it costs so much and how much is needed to train athletes.
If it is necessary, then it is imperative to raise the issue for the state to acquire such simulators.
You should buy unique things - this is an investment in our sport, "Svishchev told the Championship.
But another State Duma deputy, three-time Olympic champion in figure skating Irina Rodnina, on the contrary, did not see anything wrong with the fact that Bolshunov was ready to purchase expensive equipment at his own expense.
According to the famous athlete, the state is not obliged to allocate funds for this.
“If he buys a simulator, for example, to the base or to the club that raised him ... Why are we indignant and excited?
This is Alexander's personal matter.
These are the cries: “Let the state buy it” ... Yes, he is a healthy man, he will decide for himself how to spend his money, ”Rodnina emphasized in an interview with the Championship.
The President of the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Federation Elena Vyalbe clarified the situation.
She called Bolshunov's words about her readiness to purchase an expensive treadmill as a joke on her own.
According to her, it was rather a call to the "leaders of the sport."
“We've been asking for this treadmill for a long time.
They do not train on it so that you understand - this is a delusion.
Tests are carried out on it.
And we have absolutely reliable information that the Olympic Committee will soon acquire such a treadmill.
And then Sasha will be able to come to the innovation center of the Olympic Committee at any time and be tested, and maybe work on his technique, ”explained Vyalbe on the air of the Komsomolskaya Pravda radio station.
Meanwhile, experts continue to give Bolshunov advice on how to become even stronger on the eve of the Olympic Games.
So, the silver medalist of the Olympic Games in Vancouver, Alexander Panzhinsky, believes that the two-time winner of the Big Crystal Globe, in addition to buying a treadmill, should conduct training with the group of Markus Kramer, in which strong sprinters are engaged.
As an example, he cited Klebo, who also works with the sprint group.
For his part, the well-known commentator Dmitry Guberniev advised the athlete to learn English in order to "speak on an equal footing with the International Ski Federation (FIS)."
“Conflicts are not needed, they will still be in contact races, there will be violations of the rules.
He should live the full life of a young man.
I don't think Klebo will start learning Russian.
More openness and play is required, attracting the attention of fans, "- quotes the journalist" Match TV ".
"How can I be the president of the FLGR and give the athletes to someone?"
At the same time, some sports fans believe that Bolshunov should try his hand at biathlon.
Alexander himself said at the beginning of the year that he still had many unresolved problems in skiing.
Elena Vyalbe categorically rejected such a scenario.
“They often ask: could you give some athletes?
Now there is a certain Zaitsev, he also calls and says that if he was given any of our team, he would have made him an Olympic champion in two years in biathlon.
So find a biathlete and make him a champion.
Why the hell ... How can I be president of the Cross-Country Skiing Federation and give athletes to someone? ”- said the head of the FLGR.
Vyalbe also answered the question about the collision of Bolshunov with Klebo at the finish of the marathon as part of the World Cup, as a result of which the Norwegian was deprived of the gold award, and the Russian missed the opportunity to take first place.
She urged the judges to continue to treat the rules in the same way.
“Yes, I don’t care what interest is fueled there when the gold medal was taken from Bolshunov.
As a result, Klebo himself refused to file an appeal and said: let's not arrange these proceedings further, that's it, I'm not a whiner, well, there is no such medal and no.
But what difference does it make to Sasha whether he is second or third?
No.
No gold is the most important thing.
And I don’t think that this warms up interest ... Definitely not an athlete who saw practically this medal for 50 kilometers.
If Klebo won in a clean fight, Sasha would understand this, Johannes is stronger today.
But everything turned out differently, "- said the head of the national skiing.
The FLGR President also spoke about Bolshunov's future wife.
She compared her with the wives of the Decembrists and emphasized that Zherebyatieva brings a lot of positive things into the life of a world champion.
“Anna is so devoted to him, I think she creates an atmosphere for Sasha in which he can really somehow relax.
Bolshunov is a rather emotional person, he is very worried when something does not work out the way he wants.
With Anya, he is open, maybe she knows him more than his parents.
I just admire her ... I'm sure they'll be doing very well in the future, too.
In fact, the two of them suit each other, ”said Vyalbe.