I must admit: I did not watch the broadcast of the most important ski race of the Sochi Olympic Games. I just turned 13 and I think I was in training. Or I was walking with friends in the snowy Elizov yard in Kamchatka. I didn’t realize the importance of this moment for me, for ski racing and for all sports in the country.
I definitely wouldn’t miss it now. Because you have to win like Legkov, Vylegzhanin and Chernousov.
You see, I don’t even write what breed I’m talking about – you understood everything perfectly and remember everything perfectly. I watched the Olympic “fifty dollars” (50 kilometers) for the first time during a recording before my Olympics. And how I envied Legkov later! Olympic gold is always a joy, but it’s one thing to win it on bald hills in front of empty stands – and it’s another to win it the way Alexander did. In front of tens of thousands of roaring, flag-waving fans, in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
But the Olympic Games in Sochi are not only pleasant moments and strong impressions. These two weeks have changed the country in which we were born and live. I will not talk about all of Russia, I will tell you about my hometown.
Ten years ago, Elizovo was very, very different. There was no huge sports and recreation center, nor sports fields with exercise equipment in the yards. And probably no one would simply understand the expression “phygital center in Elizovo”.
Yes, our modest ski base has not transformed into a Ski Palace over the years. Should I have? It is much more important that in 2014 the old snowmobile “Buran” with a kind of homemade trailer took us to the ski slopes, and now the children have a completely new snowcat. Anyone who has skied understands the difference.
…Do you want another vivid memory from Kamchatka ten years ago? It will remind you of many things about our life together. My mother and I are at the clothing market, we came to buy a new tracksuit, I have outgrown the old one. Market outside, cold. Maybe even February – I don’t remember. But I remember I had to try on the costume while standing on some sort of cardboard, it looked like it came from a torn box. I’m 13 and I’m terribly uncomfortable changing clothes in front of the whole market. It seems like everyone is looking at me, I’m ready to collapse in shame. Mom holds a sort of makeshift screen around me, but I can’t fit into my pant legs because of the embarrassment.
We have all, or almost all, lived like this, haven’t we? At least in hundreds of cities like mine. I will definitely tell this story to my sister when she turns 13. I’m not sure she understands what an “outerwear market” is.
By the way, I don’t remember if this costume was purchased or not. Maybe this didn’t suit you – now you can find anyone on the Internet in three clicks. Sports fashion is much more about fashion. Just like a strong athletic body.
…We now have over 100 girls competing at the start of the Russian Cup competitions. I’m not entirely sure whether First Class and ZMS cross-country skiers should compete in the same race. This is a controversial issue; there are arguments for and against this approach. But it is undeniable that the number of strong and trained athletes at Russian competitions has increased significantly. Out of curiosity, I looked at the numbers from ten years ago – then 60-70 people entered the starting line, and this included all the “collections” of that time. 50% more now – this is serious, guys!
By the way, first-class athletes and masters of sports are now increasingly running in Russian ski boots and Russian poles. Little by little, skis “made in Russia” are appearing. Yes, collections are not yet working. First, no one canceled their contractual obligations with global companies. Secondly, Austrian and French skis really help you win so far. But it’s equipment made especially for me. I think it should stay like this: among the Finns or, let’s say, among the Italians, the juniors also run on skis and with poles made by local manufacturers, and the compilers use Austrian poles. But if a serious and ambitious Russian manufacturing company offers me a cooperation program and better conditions, I will definitely consider them.
And also on the legacy of the Olympic Games. I visit Greater Sochi every year, sometimes several times. Since I joined the junior team at the age of 18. I ski on Laura and around the Yug Sport stadium, go to the Adler gym and train on the Sirius embankment. I like the fact that every year I see more and more people doing sports by the sea and in the mountains. I like it, like me, they go out for a run by the sea at seven in the morning and, like me, turn off the lights at 10:30 p.m. and only sing songs at midnight. Yes, I don’t like drunk people, I like athletes, confident people, who have plans and goals in life, including health.
It’s very difficult for me to imagine that almost none of this existed 11 or 12 years ago. There was no embankment with a jogging track, Olympic park, Krasnaya Polyana and Laura. Everything built for the Olympics. It’s even harder for me to imagine what would have happened if this hadn’t happened at all. If we hadn’t organized the Olympic Games, if we hadn’t invested a lot of effort and money, what would happen? Where would these half a million people who came to Sochi during these New Year holidays go on vacation? Where would almost all of the country’s athletes, from candidates to masters of sports and beyond, train?
Thanks to the Olympic Games in Sochi – and I hope that I will still participate in major international competitions in Russia. I need a confident victory, we all need it!
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
