Today, February 7, the cross-country skiing competitions kicked off at the Olympic Reserve Biathlon Sports School of the Republic of Bashkortostan as part of the All-Russian Winter Spartakiade. Twenty-eight athletes fr om eight regions across the country — Republics of Komi, Karelia, and Bashkortostan, Moscow, Vladimir, Penza, and Kirov regions, as well as the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug — began their battle for the title of the strongest.

In the women’s classic sprint, a dramatic showdown unfolded between two leaders, Lyubov Mayorova (Republic of Komi) and Maria Mazhenina (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), who crossed the finish line simultaneously. Only a photo finish could determine the winner, with Mayorova claiming victory by a mere tenth of a second. Oksana Savelieva (Moscow) took the bronze.

The men’s race was equally intense, with Daniil Andreev (Republic of Komi/Bryansk region) securing a narrow victory, finishing just 0.09 seconds ahead of the renowned deaflympian Vladimir Mayorov (Republic of Komi). Alik Zyuziulkin (Republic of Komi/Penza region) came in third.

Meanwhile, the group stage matches of men’s and women’s futsal began at the sports hall of the Bashkir State Agrarian University. Seven men’s and four women’s teams took to the court, showcasing their skills in thrilling matches.

The men’s games were particularly intense, filled with passion and dramatic comebacks. The Sverdlovsk team, trailing in the first half against Astrakhan, turned the game around to win 8-4. Novosibirsk, tied 2-2 with their opponents from St. Petersburg, managed to clinch a hard-fought 4-3 victory. Meanwhile, Moscow, leading 5-2 against Samara, ultimately lost 5-8.

In the women’s matches, the Moscow region team dominated with a confident 10-0 win over Ulyanovsk, while the Moscow team outplayed their St. Petersburg counterparts with a composed 4-0 victory.

At the same time, the Ulfat Mustafin Republican Center for Sports Training hosted intense blitz chess battles. Forty-seven athletes (15 women and 32 men) from six regions — Moscow, Sevastopol, St. Petersburg, Moscow and Rostov regions, and the Republic of Bashkortostan — competed in the event.

The games followed the Swiss system, with nine rounds for women and eleven for men, and a time control of 3 minutes + 2 seconds per move.

Blitz Chess Results:

Men:

1st place – Andrei Onishchenko (Moscow)

2nd place – Mikhail Gabdullin (Chelyabinsk region)

3rd place – Evgeny Davydov (St. Petersburg)

Women:

1st place – Kira Drugova (St. Petersburg)

2nd place – Yulia Turkeeva (Sverdlovsk region)

3rd place – Olga Lagutina (Sevastopol)

The day concluded with the festive opening of the fan zone at Gostiny Dvor, wh ere ARSFSD President Dmitry Rebrov warmly greeted the athletes and fans from the stage, marking the end of another action-packed day.

Photo Album

Text: Nurlan Tazhigulov, Olga Troynikova

Photos: Press Service of the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Sofia Rumyantseva, Olga Troynikova

Translation: Daria Kudelina