Free sprint defeat in Russian Cup final could allow three-time Olympic champion to stand out Alexandra Bolshunova extra motivation, Olympic champion Evgeny Dementyev told .
On Tuesday, Bolshunov failed to qualify for the sprint final in Kirovsk. In the first semi-final, Bolshunov showed the third result and could have reached the final as a lucky loser, but in the second semi-final the skiers covered the distance faster. Bolshunov did not qualify for the sprint race final for the first time this season.
— Of course, the results are influenced by the fact that the season is long and difficult. People are not made of iron. Even Alexander Bolshunov. There’s nothing wrong with him not making it to the final. He’s human, people can lose.
— The skiing calendar is very busy: the Spartakiad, the Russian Championship and now the Cup finals follow one another. Are there too many top starts in a row? Maybe Bolshunov should have skipped something so as not to push himself?
– Here everyone makes their own decision. Again, all athletes know the schedule in advance and prepare according to it. And then they make decisions based on their own well-being.
— Can we say that this failure for Bolshunov is a plus for the rest of the skiers? They thought he was vulnerable and could be beaten.
“If Alexander had gone the entire season without defeat, he would have achieved such a feat that it would be unlikely that anyone could surpass him in the future.” He is a benchmark for all downhill skiers who dream of beating him. I think this situation will create additional motivation for Bolshunov – to go through the next season without defeat,” Dementyev told .
On Wednesday, April 3, the tournament will feature pursuit races. Live broadcast of the women’s race on the channel will begin at 11:00 (Moscow time), the men’s race at 12:25, and you can also follow the progress of the competition on the matchtv.ru and sportbox websites. ru.
Source : MatchTV
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