On the Udmurt Ski Track
From March 2 to 7, the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Championship and Youth Championship took place at the Izhevsk Sports and Recreational Skiing Complex, named after Galina Kulakova. This complex has long served as an excellent venue for all-Russian competitions for children and youth, including events within the Spartakiads for deaf sports. However, this marked the first time it hosted the Russian Championship at a professional level. A total of 34 skiers (15 in the championship and 19 in the youth championship) from 12 regions - Moscow, the Republic of Komi, Bashkortostan, Karelia, the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, Vladimir, Bryansk, Penza, Sverdlovsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Kostroma, and Omsk regions - competed fiercely for the titles of the best.
On the first day of the competition, skiers participated in individual starts using the classic style: 5 km for girls and women, and 10 km for boys and men. In both the women's and men's races, the Mayorovs - Lyubov and Vladimir from the Republic of Komi, both multiple Deaflympic champions - emerged victorious. Ulyana Evdokimova from the Sverdlovsk region dominated the women's race, while Ian Isakov from the Nizhny Novgorod region stood out in the men's race, earning his newly crowned champion status.
The second day of the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Championship and Youth Championship featured a 1.2 km sprint for women and girls and a 1.4 km freestyle sprint for boys and men. The sprint events consisted of several stages: qualification, semi-finals, and finals. Daniil Andreev, Maria Mazhenina, Fedor Ivanov, and Ulyana Evdokimova were the first to qualify in their respective categories. However, not all of them managed to maintain their positions in the finals. Only Daniil Andreev and Ulyana Evdokimova secured gold medals, reaffirming their leadership. In the other finals, Lyubov Mayorova and Ian Isakov claimed first place.
Following the announcement of the results, the opening and award ceremonies were held. Attendees included Maxim Gavrilov, Director of the Sports Training Centre; Maxim Vylegzhanin, President of the Cross-Country Skiing Federation of Udmurtia and a three-time Olympic silver medallist; and Sergey Kryanin, Head Coach of the Russian National Cross-Country Skiing Team.
The third day of the championships celebrated team spirit with a mixed team sprint in the championships and a mixed team relay in the youth championship. The Republic of Komi, renowned as a skiing region, fielded two teams in each discipline. Additionally, a team from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra participated in the championship, while a team from the Penza region competed in the youth championship. Ultimately, the teams from the Republic of Komi secured leading positions in both events, further solidifying their reputation as a dominant force in skiing.
Russian Championship. Mixed Team Sprint:
1st place - Republic of Komi - 1
2nd place - Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra
3rd place - Republic of Komi - 2
Russian Youth Championship. Mixed relay 3x5 km Classic Style:
1st place - Republic of Komi - 1
2nd place - Penza Region
3rd place - Republic of Komi - 2
On the final day, skiers competed in a freestyle individual start. Girls raced over 5 kilometres, boys and women over 10 kilometres, and men over 15 kilometres. Special attention was given to Sergey Ermilov, a five-time Deaflympics champion, who announced his retirement from professional skiing after more than 30 years of competition. In his final race, he performed admirably, securing an honourable sixth place and outpacing many younger competitors. During the closing ceremony, Sergey expressed his gratitude to fellow athletes for their camaraderie and competition, as well as to his coaches. Tamara Tikhonova, a two-time Olympic champion, also participated in the ceremony, presenting awards to the winners and medallists. The Republic of Komi team achieved a record number of medals in the team standings of both the Russian Championship and the Youth Championship.
Team Standings of the Russian Youth Championship:
1. Republic of Komi
2. Penza Region
3. Kostroma Region
Team standings of the Russian Championship:
1. Republic of Komi
2. Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra
3. Moscow
Sergey Kryanin, Head Coach of the Russian National Cross-Country Skiing Team, remarked: “The competition was held at a very high level, thanks to the hosting organization and the staff of the Galina Kulakova Sports Complex. All athletes performed at their best, and the strongest emerged victorious. I was delighted to see young athletes from Sverdlovsk, Nizhny Novgorod, the Republic of Komi, Karelia and other regions.”
Text: Maria Mazhenina, Nurlan Tazhigulov
Photo: Maxim Mazhenin
Translation: Daria Kudelina
