The Russian Cross-Country Skiing Championship, which ended on April 1 in Syktyvkar, was interesting, first of all, because the heroes of the Pyeongchang Olympic Games took part in it.
I must say that almost all Olympians have proved their level. Natalia Nepryaeva won the free sprint and the individual 10 km classic, and in team sprint she together with Irina Severina won silver. Her friends from the Olympic relay ‘bronze team’ Anastasiya Sedova, Yulia Belorukova and Anna Nechayev brand also lived up to reputation.
Anastasia Sedova won gold in 15-km skiathlon and was the third in the individual. Interestingly, Anastasia will be preparing for the next season not in Marcus Kramer’s group, but with her father, an honored coach of Russia Nikolai Sedov. In an interview with the ROC Information Service, the athlete admitted that she did it because of the lack of progress. First of all, in individual races.
The winner of two Olympic medals in Pyeongchang Yulia Belorukova won in the team sprint together with Olga Tsareva. In addition, she, to the delight of local fans, literally dragged her team to the third place in the relay.
Anna Nechayeva, representing Tatarstan, brought two awards from Syktyvkar – bronze in the Skiathlon and silver in the 4×5 km relay. Now the athlete can switch to the preparations for the wedding with a clear conscience. The wedding is scheduled for July. Her chosen one is the bronze medalist of the 2018 Games, skier Nikita Surkov, who helped his future wife to test the skis in Syktyvkar.
Among men Alexander Bolshunov showed himself to the best advantage. The four-time winner of the Pyeongchang Games did not allow himself to relax after the Olympics, adding to his medal collection three gold medals of the national championship in the team sprint (duet with Gleb Retivyh), the individual 15-km race and in the relay, where 21-year-old skier represented the national team of the Tyumen region.
Denis Spitsov, famous for his sharp rivalry with Norwegian Klebo at the last stage of the relay in Pyeongchang, in Syktyvkar helped the team of the Tyumen region climb to the highest step of the podium in the relay. While two other winners of the Olympic Games, Alexey Chervotkin and Andrey Larkov, did not win anything.
Also note that many of those, who missed the 2018 Games for reasons beyond their control, participated in the the Championship of Russia. For example, Sergei Ustyugov had no equal in the individual sprint and in the 30-km skiathlon. Unfortunately, the disease prevented the two-time world champion to develop success.
World champion 2015 Maxim Vylegzhanin most brilliantly showed himself in the team sprint (silver) and in the 50 km race from the mass start (bronze). After the marathon 35-year-old athlete said that the next season will be his last.
