2018 Olympic medalist in cross-country skiing Andrei Larkov told that he agrees with the Russian national team coach’s opinion Yuri Borodavko that the dismissal of national athletes harms not only themselves, but also foreigners.
These days in Malinovka (Arkhangelsk region) competitions “Champion’s Heights” are held, which are alternative starts to the World Championships held at the same time in Planica. The Russians are not participating in the World Cup by decision of the International Ski Federation (FIS) due to the situation in Ukraine.
– What do you think, what is the future of world skiing if the suspension of the Russians is long?
– I agree with Yuri Viktorovich Borodavko that it does not benefit foreign skiers or ours. I managed to see out of the corner of my eye how the duathlon at the World Cup is going. Apparently, this is not at all what the fans especially expect. The plot was at a minimum. What will be in the future is very difficult to answer. Let us hope for the best.
– That is to say, you manage to follow the World Cup?
– No, it turns out that I was able to watch the races. To be honest, this year I don’t even know what the World Cup schedule was. Didn’t follow at all.
– But I heard the story with the video with Bolshunov and Nepryaeva for this World Cup, for sure?
– Read in Telegram channels. I don’t even know how to react to that. We don’t know exactly what people say about us to foreigners.
– Do you think Russian skiers have a chance to make it to the 2026 Olympics?
– I think we’ll go. No one knows if everything will be decided by then. But we hope, we believe, we wait.
– And what kind of reaction do IOC statements provoke?
– I think everyone has noticed that one day you say one thing, then another. We don’t know what’s going on in their head. Athletes are hostages to the situation here, Larkov told .
On February 28, as part of the Championship Heights competition, a women’s race with a separate start will take place. Watch the live broadcast starting at 10:40 a.m. Moscow time on and on matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites.
Source : MatchTV
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