General
Bolshunov turned on beast mode! Alexander waited for this victory for 277 days
What a pity that you won’t be able to cheer for such an Alexander at the Olympics!
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.
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.
Source: Sportbox
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.
The Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev said that the ROC will sign a memorandum of cooperation with the Qatar Olympic Committee.
— On the sidelines of the General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia in Tashkent, I met with the President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Vice-President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), member of the IOC Olympism 365 Commission, His Highness Sheikh Joan bin Hamad Al-Thani.
We discussed issues of bilateral interaction. We agreed to prepare for signing a memorandum of cooperation between the Olympic Committees of Russia and Qatar.
I am sure this will open up new opportunities for the development of sports, support for young athletes and strengthening the partnership between our countries,” Degtyarev wrote in his Telegram channel.
Source: Sportbox
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.
Belarusian biathletes Dinara Smolskaya, Anna Sola, Stepan Danilov and Anton Smolsky won the mixed relay at the fourth stage of the Alfa-Bank Commonwealth Cup in Raubichi.
The athletes representing the Belarus-1 team showed a time of 1 hour 18 minutes 48 seconds (0 penalty loops + 3 additional rounds).
The Russia-1 team finished second (Anastasia Khalili, Natalia Shevchenko, Saveliy Konovalov and Kirill Bazhin; 0+7; backlog – 36.3 seconds), the Russia-2 team closed the top three (Anastasia Tomshina, Victoria Slivko, Evgeniy Sidorov, Eduard Latypov; 0+7; +1.23.6).
The next stage of the Commonwealth Cup will be held in Sochi from February 11 to 15.
Watch live broadcasts of the Commonwealth Cup races on the Match TV channel, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
Source: Sportbox
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.
General
Commonwealth Biathlon Cup: when does it start, where to watch the mixed relay online on January 25
On Sunday, January 25, at the fourth stage of the Alfa-Bank Commonwealth Biathlon Cup in the Belarusian Raubichi, a mixed relay will be held.
The competition will begin at 13:45 Moscow time. The live broadcast will be available from 13:35 on the Match TV and Match! Arena”, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
10 teams will take part in the race, consisting of four biathletes each (2 men and 2 women). The relay has four stages of 6 kilometers each.
Team compositions:
1. Russia-1: Anastasia Khalili, Natalia Shevchenko, Saveliy Konovalov, Kirill Bazhin;
2. Belarus‑1: Dinara Smolskaya, Anna Sola, Stepan Danilov, Anton Smolsky;
3. Russia-2: Anastasia Tomshina, Victoria Slivko, Evgeny Sidorov, Eduard Latypov;
4. Belarus‑2: Irina Shakleina, Elena Kulak, Maxim Vorobey, Nikita Lobastov;
5. Russia-3: Tamara Derbusheva, Yulia Kovalenko, Alexander Povarnitsyn, Oleg Domichek;
6. Belarus-3: Ksenia Vorobey, Alina Zaitseva, Pavel Belko, Dmitry Lazovsky;
7. Russia-4: Victoria Metelya, Anastasia Grishina, Ivan Kolotov, Daniil Usov;
8. Russia-5: Irina Kazakevich, Inna Tereshchenko, Mikhail Strebko, Andrey Ostapiy;
9. Russia-6: Svetlana Mironova, Anastasia Shevchenko, Egor Prokudin, Yaroslav Konkin;
10. Russia-7: Elizaveta Nasotovich, Anastasia Egorova, Vyacheslav Maleev, Ilnaz Muzamedzyanov.
Source: Sportbox
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.
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