The Demino marathon has become one of the brightest events in cross-country skiing for Russians, having brought together many representatives of the national team.
Due to sanctions, domestic athletes were unable to take part in the World Cup stage, which took place in Oslo, Norway, on the same days.
In this regard, Alexander Bolshunov, Gleb Retivyh, Alexander Chervotkin and Natalya Nepryaeva pleased the fans with their performance in Demino.
Maximum attention, of course, was riveted to the three-time Olympic champion, who more than justified the expectations placed on him.
On Sunday, he confidently won the 50k freestyle race, setting a course record of 1:43.58.
Commenting on his performance, the skier admitted that this victory to some extent compensates for missing the tournament in Norway.
“It is clear that it would be more solid to win there.
And winning the Kholmekolensky marathon was one of my goals for the end of the season.
But Deminsky won.
And in general it is comparable.
Because he passed in a wonderful atmosphere.
There were a huge number of fans.
Everything is good, ”said the athlete.
He also spoke about the behavior of Norwegian athletes and functionaries.
Recall that the International Ski Racing Federation first allowed the national team to compete at the World Cup in a neutral status, but the Norwegian federation delivered an ultimatum, promising to cancel all remaining stages if Russian skiers compete.
The FIS had no choice but to decide on the suspension.
“Since many Norwegian athletes began to speak very badly about us, there was no point in staying there anymore.
You could say they just kicked us out.
Removed major competitors.
It seems to me that it was completely wrong to do so, ”Bolshunov shared his opinion on this matter.
At the same time, he expressed the hope that in the near future the decision on dismissal would be reviewed.
“Of course, this situation is annoying, because now it is not clear what will happen next.
I hope that in the near future everything will work out, everything will return to its place and we will be able to continue to participate.
Sport is a separate topic, the strongest should compete.
Sport is the world,” said a native of the Bryansk region.
After the race, the fans took the titled skier into the ring and did not let go for about five hours - a huge queue lined up for autographs and joint photos.
Alexander reacted to such a stir with understanding, he tried to pay attention to everyone.
And the next day, he admitted that such a five-hour autograph marathon was even more difficult for him than the race itself.
However, fatigue did not prevent him from winning another 25-kilometer race on Monday in the classic style.
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Publication from Aleksandr Bolshunov (@san_sanych_bolshunov)
Olympic relay champion Alexei Chervotkin, who took sixth place in the marathon, was surprised how his teammate manages to maintain such fighting shape after the Olympics.
He himself admitted that he is still on the decline.
“Bolshunov offered to go out and work in turns on the first lap, we did just that.
And on the second lap, he just took it and ran away from us, ”said the athlete.
Natalya Nepryaeva also showed excellent form, taking first place in the women's marathon.
According to her confession, she rarely participated in races of 50 kilometers, so the race was not easy for her.
“I am happy to compete here, because there is a very cool atmosphere here, it gives motivation, I want to race, run, be here.
It was hard that the men sat behind me like backpacks, but I tried to lead my race.
I walked according to my feelings, because 50 km is a very serious distance, I don’t have much practice in such marathons.
But I understood that I was going first, ”said the skier.
Right on the eve of the Demino marathon, it became known that Natalia had become the winner of the overall World Cup ahead of schedule - despite the fact that she was forced to miss the end of the international season.
A large crystal globe will be handed over to her in the near future through the Russian Skiing Association.
Nepryaeva admitted that she had already felt the taste of this victory, although it turned out to be smeared by recent events.
“To be honest, the feeling of victory was slightly spoiled for me.
For myself, I understand that this is my cup.
For me, this victory means a lot, I think it's insanely cool.
Probably, it’s not even joy anymore, but the burden from the soul has fallen, satisfaction.
What is mine will remain mine.
When you see such support from the fans, you understand that in principle it doesn’t matter what they say there.
Anyway, there are people who love me, support me, for whom I am the best, ”admitted the Olympic champion.