After the exclusion of domestic skiers from international competitions, some fans complain that they are deprived of the opportunity to compete with the strongest. However, skiathlon at the Spartakiad in Tyumen clearly demonstrated: the leaders of the Russian team are capable of putting on a show without the participation of foreigners.
Initially, it was clear that the spectators would expect a very interesting fight, because a number of athletes were vying for medals. Traditionally, Alexander Bolshunov was considered the main favorite, having previously won 18 victories in a row at domestic competitions this season.
The first classic part of the distance only served as confirmation that the battle would continue to the last meters. There were more than 30 people in the leading group, and no one was in a hurry to break away. First one, then the other came forward. For example, after the second round the intermediate protocol was headed by Bolshunov, and after the third by Savely Korostelev, who occupied first place in the overall standings of the FLGR.
But Sergei Ustyugov, who had returned to duty, on the contrary, fell behind and was located outside the top 30, although he retained the opportunity to catch up with his competitors, which he demonstrated a little later.
The most interesting events took place on the ridge part. After changing skis, the top five included Bolshunov, Korostelev, Evgeniy Belov, Denis Spitsov and Sergei Ardashev. However, it was impossible to talk about any serious gaps, because the first position was separated from the 20th by 8.5 seconds.
But then each circle gave interesting events. Belov took the risk first. After the transit, he ran ahead and secured a ten second handicap from the pursuit group. No one seemed to support his jerk. However, before entering the stadium, the World Championship medalist was only 3.9 seconds ahead of Bolshunov and was clearly tired.
Next, it was the turn to surprise Ilya Poroshkin and Ustyugov. The veteran’s jerk was especially pleasantly shocking. The Olympic champion had already been forgotten when he made an impressive burst from deep to move into second place. Bolshunov, meanwhile, was preparing for the decisive period. During the climb, he worked calmly, saving energy, and even allowed Ustyugov to pass him on a parallel track. And before the final lap, Ivan Yakimushkin took the lead. In total, around 15 people remained in the fight for medals.
After leaving the stadium, the native of the Bryansk region again led the group. For some time he still maintained a relatively low pace and allowed his pursuers to stay close. He was even replaced for a short time by Yakimushkin and Andrey Sobakarev.
The decisive moment came 2 km before the finish, when Alexander performed his trademark powerful acceleration. No one could cope with him except Ilya Semikov, who competently distributed his forces at a distance and saved them for the final segment. One got the impression that he would be able to impose a fight on Bolshunov until the very end. But he, as if toying with his opponent, left him as if standing on the descent to his next triumph.
But a fierce battle broke out for the remaining medal. Korostelev played the role of the main loser. The leader of the overall standings had his stick broken, and the coaches did not have time to hand over a new one in time. So the young skier showed only the 16th result. And in the showdown for bronze, luck smiled on Artyom Maltsev. Ustyugov, who became fourth, collapsed on the snow without strength, greedily gasping for air.
“I'm happy with how I feel. We were in the mountains for 16 days, and the results were obvious. It should get better and better with every race. I stayed behind a little when Bolshunov made a breakthrough, and it turned out that he lost his position a little. I didn’t have time to react when Ilya and Sanya went to work. We had to beat Spitsov and Ustyugov at the finish line, and it worked. Here all the guys fight hard, push each other, it’s a life-or-death struggle,” Maltsev shared his emotions.
Bolshunov, again without much effort, left no chance for his opponents and extended his incredible streak, winning his 19th victory in a row this season in domestic competitions. He continues to win absolutely every start.
“The guys were good competition. 20 km is a dynamic race, only in the last kilometers did the high speeds begin. The main thing was to finish well. Who did you expect to see next to you when accelerating? Everyone, but Semikov picked it up. He’s great,” said the triumphant.
Among women, the main figure, Veronica Stepanova, also had no equal. The leader of the overall standings of the Russian Cup had been content with silver in the sprint the day before and clearly wanted to get even with her rivals in the skiathlon, where she had a much better chance of success. And she herself promised to put on a show for the fans.
As a result, the Olympic champion naturally stayed in the group of leaders from the very start, but was in no hurry. The athlete understood that there was no point in getting ahead ahead of time and wasting precious energy.
In the first half of the classic distance, Tatyana Sorina and Lidia Gorbunova had no equal. It was they who carried a large-scale pursuit group with them. They were unexpectedly accompanied by young Alina Pekletsova. However, the 18-year-old athlete took the pace too high, could not stand it herself and rolled deeper into the field.
But on the “skate” it was Stepanova’s time. She ran the race tactically well and accelerated at the right moment, leaving most of her pursuers behind. Only Maria Istomina, Anastasia Kuleshova and Evgenia Krupitskaya did not give up. Moreover, none of this quartet tried to sit behind their rivals, and each worked at the maximum.
Krupitskaya was the first to give in and was ultimately left without a medal. Kuleshova was the next to finish the fight for the highest standard award, focusing on the battle for silver. As a result, Stepanova finished in splendid isolation and won another victory.
“They say I lack modesty? Yes, I have the best, best modesty in the world! I wish the same for you,” the champion joked on her social networks after the race.
But there was a serious fight for second place. It seemed that Istomina was ahead of Kuleshova, but she did not give up until the last centimeters and was rewarded. The opponent threw out her leg too late at the finishing line, and Anastasia, jumping out from behind, got ahead of her at the last moment.
“Masha and I were about the same at the finish line, I understood this when the three of us went out. I knew that if we came together, it’s clear that Nika would be stronger than us. Therefore, during the last climb, I had to think about how best to sit on the descent and where to break away, since neither Masha nor I had the strength,” explained the silver winner.