Skier Smirnova: “I was knocked out with a snap of my fingers, I was lucky my opponent fell”

Skier Ekaterina Smirnova said she felt bad during the Alfa-Bank Russian Ski Championship relay race and was lucky that her rival Maria Istomine fell on the way down.

On Friday, Smirnova, Elizaveta Pantrina, Anna Grukhvina and Alisa Zhambalova as part of the Tyumen region team took first place in the relay at the Russian Championship in Tyumen. At the Smirnova stage, the first Istomina fell, allowing her rivals to close the gap.

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– The Russian Championship is coming to an end, there is one race left, my strength is already running out. I gave everything. I don’t know how to run further. I ran the whole race and thought I wouldn’t be able to start again. These were the first such emotions, now I have already cooled down. I was knocked out with a snap of my fingers on a big climb. I thought, just to endure until the descent and not be so far behind. I couldn’t hold back Masha (Istomina) at all. I was a little lucky that she fell on the descent. She immediately lost speed, and I immediately picked up and even managed to get around her.

— You have the third consecutive gold medal. After the attacking skiathlon, how do you feel now?

– I am very happy. I didn’t think I could win so many gold medals. I just wanted to take a personal medal, but in the team races I knew one hundred percent that there would be two gold medals. Although I still doubted the relay race, we definitely went for the win. I was very worried for the girls, how they would pass the classic stages. And she no longer worried about Liza Pantrina and me, she knew that we would do everything that depended on us and lead our team to victory.

– Did you see the moment when Istomina fell?

Yes, by far. I saw her get up in slow motion. She had no speed at all, she had to push on the bridge. And I immediately rushed to her.

So she gave you a present.

“It doesn’t make it easy for me, I know I lost to her. Usually in relay races I look at myself, I want to show a brilliant result. Masha helped me with her fall. So I no longer doubted Lisa. Even if I had a slight lag, she would eliminate it.

– At the start of the race, your team has lost a lot to first place. Were you convinced that you would play the last stages calmly?

– I thought there would be less loss and Alisa (Zhambalova) would catch up. But even behind the team began to catch up with her. It’s okay, everything happens in our sport. All the good guys have us.

— Will you win the mass start?

– Yes, I start, – the correspondent of “” passes the words to Smirnova.

shows Alfa-Bank Russian Ski Championship (March 18-26, Tyumen region). Watch live broadcasts of the tournament on the federal channel and thematic channels of the holding, as well as on the sites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.