Bolshunov turned on beast mode! Alexander waited for this victory for 277 days

This winter season has been difficult for Alexander Bolshunov. Our athlete seemed to have forgotten how to win. But everything changed in the champion’s first race after the New Year.

Bolshunov recalled himself as an example of better times.

“Private Zone” by Bolshunov

The beginning of the 2025/26 season can easily be called the worst for Bolshunov in recent years. The three-time Olympic champion did not win a single victory before the January break. To be fair, before the New Year holidays, Alexander began to show consistently high results, but the last time he climbed to the top step of the podium was on April 13th.

In addition, Bolshunov dealt a blow to his own reputation by staging a showdown with his namesake Bakurov at the PhosAgro Russian Cup stage in Kirovsk. This incident even led to a deterioration in relations with the President of the Russian Ski Racing Federation (FLGR) Elena Vyalbe. Before the stage in Kazan, she did not communicate with the leader of the team and was not aware of whether the skier was going to compete in the 15-kilometer freestyle time trial. The senior coach of the Russian cross-country skiing team, Yuri Borodavko, was better informed about Bolshunov’s plans.

— Alexander plans to compete at the stage in Kazan. As for readiness, all questions should be directed to Alexander. After all, an athlete’s well-being is a private zone. Let him answer himself,” Borodavko told Match TV.

Alexander Bolshunov / Photo: © RIA Novosti / Maxim Bogodvid

There is the first victory of the season

At the start of the race, Bolshunov did not force the speed, showing the fifth result and losing to Sergei Zabaluev by a symbolic 2.6 seconds. By the end of the first lap, Alexander took the lead. He was 6.1 seconds ahead of his closest competitor, Yegor Mitroshin. The leader of the overall Russian Cup standings, Sergei Ardashev, lost more than ten seconds.

On the second lap, Alexander significantly strengthened his advantage. It was clear that the skier had improved physically compared to his own last year. Bolshunov also looked fresher than his opponents. Every movement was filled with the desire to break this prolonged black streak. Mitroshin was already 16.1 seconds behind at the 10 km mark.

In the last one and a half kilometers, Alexander’s advantage began to shrink, but very little. The gap gained in the first two laps was enough to win the first victory of the season. Mitroshin finished second (+16.9 sec). The top three was completed by Ivan Gorbunov (+30.7 sec).

Alexander can only be congratulated for overcoming the protracted crisis. And what a pity that with such form Bolshunov does not compete at the World Cup. He will also be missed at the Olympic Games in Italy.

Watch PhosAgro’s live broadcasts of the Russian Ski Cup on the TV channels of the Match group, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.