“If in a big city, but half an hour’s walk from the stadium, people do not go to a ski show, then something in this show needs to be changed” – Veronika Stepanova

Olympic champion Veronica Stepanova in her column on , she drew attention to the low attendance at the control race of skiers and biathletes in Khanty-Mansiysk, which took place on November 11.

Stepanova won the 5-kilometer control race, the biathlete took second place Elizaveta Kaplina . The departure took place on the eve of the first International Club Biathlon League (ILCL) Cup.

— In Khanty-Mansiysk, of course, no one had eyeliner. Everyone was running “loaded” after intensive training. It is simply stupid to draw conclusions based on the results of these races last weekend. It’s like an exhibition match for football players before the season starts: it doesn’t count towards the score, but you can watch the athletes you miss.

There were very few people who were bored. There were virtually no spectators in the magnificent Filipenko ski stadium, one of the best in the world. Yes, the main stars – Bolshunov, Ustyugov, Terentyeva – did not run. But besides, we trained at the same time on the same tracks. But there were the best biathletes, including local stars. Lisa Kaplina, for example.

I think that’s another call. If in a relatively large city, where it’s a half-hour walk to the stadium, people don’t go to a ski show, something needs to change about that show. Yes, it was just a control training, but I have great doubts that the official competition would have attracted a full stadium,” Stepanova wrote.

The first MLKB Cup will take place on November 18 and 19 in Khanty-Mansiysk. Russian and Belarusian biathletes will take part in the races. For victory, athletes will receive 1 million rubles.

The channel will broadcast live the races of the first Cup of the International Club Biathlon League.