“Took her own”: how Stepanova won against Nepryaeva in the skating trial at the “Champion Heights” in Malinovka

Veronika Stepanova won her first victory at the Championship Heights tournament in Malinovka.

The Beijing Olympic champion in brilliant style won the 10 km time trial in skating, beating Natalya Nepryaeva by almost half a minute.

It is worth noting that the start of the “alternative world championship” for Veronica was not very successful.

In the sprint, she dropped out at the quarterfinal stage, and in the skiathlon she finished 11th, more than a minute and a half behind the winner.

However, the athlete did not lose heart.

Without a shadow of irony, she stated that it didn’t make much difference for her - to remain second or to be far outside the top ten, and her main goal was to defeat the owner of the Big Crystal Globe - 2022 at any of the remaining distances.

“Nepryaeva is an amazing skier, a real champion and an example in various categories, from technique to patience.

To beat her at the main start, it’s not enough just to prepare well, you need to take a risk in preparation.

My goal, my incentive is to beat Natalya at the main start in at least one race right now, when she is in the prime of her skiing years.

This time it didn't work out.

We will analyze and think about how to make this a reality further,” Stepanova wrote in a column on the Match TV website.

The main and, perhaps, the only opportunity to realize what was conceived for Veronika was the skating cut - her signature distance.

The weather also played into the hands of the pupil of Yegor Sorin.

Snow fell all night in Malinovka, and therefore the track was not too dense.

Thanks to this, lighter athletes who did not get stuck in the snow gained an advantage.

On the first lap, the guideline for the participants of the red, strongest, group was set by Maya Yakunina, who won the “cutting” at the Russian Cup stage in Krasnogorsk, Alena Perevozchikova, and Anastasia Kuleshova, who had already scored third place in the skiathlon in Malinovka.

The latter went the distance so well that she managed to supplement the collection of awards with another bronze, ahead of one of the favorites, Maria Istomina, in the fight for it.

With the Perm athlete, who two days earlier almost snatched victory from Nepryaeva at the finish of the skiathlon, her own zeal played a cruel joke.

Maria was very powerfully involved in the work from the very start and brought the leader Kuleshova at around 2.8 km as much as 14 seconds.

But Istomina failed to spread her strength over the distance: “having eaten”, she spent almost a minute more on the second round than on the first, and as a result lost 6.7 seconds to the same Kuleshova at the finish line.

Well, the main struggle, as expected, unfolded between the two Olympic champions.

Nepryaeva started rather slowly, yielding the first part of the distance to Istomina, and turned on at full power only on the final descent.

Stepanova, who was following, showed a very smart run: she did not rush in pursuit from the first meters, but evenly walked along the track, which allowed her to win no less than 24.6 seconds from her principled rival.

“Today I didn’t chase anyone, I ran my race.

The first round went relatively with a margin, and on the second I already gave everything that was.

And when Yuri Viktorovich (Borodavko) had already calmed down on the track and did not push me, I realized that today there would be gold, ”Veronika said with a smile on the air after the race.

The athlete admitted that this victory is important for her psychologically against the background of previous failures, but at the same time she emphasized that she would not be upset even in tenth place.

“Emotional stability is very important for professional athletes, and I proved it once again today.

Do not despair if you have had several failures in a row.

It will definitely be back to normal soon.

This is my "ten" - and I took it.

Today all the cards came together.

My peculiarity is that I can get ready at the right time.

Today, the coach and I did everything right, and it would be strange if I didn’t show this result, ”said the skier.

In turn, the coach of the athlete Yegor Sorin emphasized that the victory of the ward did not come as a surprise to him, although she is now not in optimal shape.

“Today, probably, she ran more on character.

It is still clear that the movements are not the ones that she can show.

But she showed character, fought to the end, even when she won 20 seconds.

I think that Natalya Nepryaeva did not show the best result today, and the weather is very difficult for her.

It can be seen that she endured today, it was not easy for her.

It seems to me that today it was very difficult for both of them, ”the expert expressed the opinion.

Elena Vyalbe, president of the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Federation, rejoiced at Stepanova's victory.

She stressed that after a difficult start at the Champions Heights, the athlete needed a boost of positive energy.

“I am pleased that she is in first place today, because after failures a person needs joy and happiness.

This is the best thing to have faith in yourself, ”said Vyalbe.

She also stated that many athletes from whom few expected high results, including Perevozchikova and Svetlana Zaborskaya, got into the top ten at the end of the race.

Kuleshova was praised by the three-time Olympic champion and bronze medalist.

“I have known Nastya for many years.

I was very hurt when she announced that she was leaving the sport and wants to raise a child.

Now she lacks stability, but skating is hers, like a “ten” or “thirty,” said the head of the FLGR.