What do you need for high-level cross-country skiing? Let’s move our fingers:
I saw all of this at the Legkov Race last weekend (minus the TV show – by the way, to no avail!)
The Peresvet Park Hotel, where Alexandre traditionally holds his personalized race, is a place familiar to more advanced skiers. For the rest let me explain: it’s a whole complex in the Moscow region of several hotels and a whole range of sports facilities: a swimming pool, a gym, an indoor ice rink. And (most important for our sport) well-prepared ski circles, up to 10 km. Quite a World Cup level in terms of complexity.
There are very few other such places in the world – of those I’ve been to, only Finland’s Vuokatti can offer something similar in terms of functionality. All very expensive, but high quality, really for professionals – I had to train in Peresvet and the summer before Beijing was a great training camp!
Why is all this written? This is such a detailed version of the thought that came to me as soon as I swept a few circles in Peresvet. In such places it would be possible and necessary to hold the stages of the Russian Cup or other official competitions.
I do not want to be misunderstood: apparently there is a meaning in those races where a hundred participants start, and Olympic champions run with first-class women, as we ran, for example, in Chusovoy or Kirovo -Chepetsk recently. Probably, it somehow stimulates young skiers – I myself did not have to participate in it at the age of 17, but I fully admit it.
But sometimes you need competition between, say, the top 30 women and men. Or 20, or even 10 is a matter of discussion. The logistics are simpler, the costs are much lower, and the interest in the competitions is at the same level if there is a TV broadcast.
By the way, about the costs. I won’t reveal any secrets, all the numbers are in the public domain: the prize money for winning the Legkov Race is three times higher than at the Russian Cup stages. Professional athletes will always strive to make more money in a short career. I don’t think we need to justify it. But such high prices mean there are serious sponsors, thanks to them. And serious sponsors usually know a lot about the organization. In addition, the race in Peresvet is a great opportunity to meet business partners and build new useful relationships. The partners are not very eager to come to the top of Tyoi – but an hour and a half from Moscow to Peresvet is perfectly fine for them.
And a few more words. I didn’t go to the start on Saturday, after consulting the coach. But I “worked” from the bottom of my heart – I don’t think I’ve ever left so many autographs. It worked: while the kids are standing in the cold, in a blizzard, queuing for my signature – it’s my duty, my function in the sports world. Apparently, this must somehow be stipulated, perhaps even prescribed in the requirements for participants in all competitions.
By the way, the children not only came for autographs, but did their shopping – one kilometer, three, five. Before the main, where Nepryaeva fought Kuleshova and Maltsev fought Terentyev. How do you like the composition? I saw something similar at the World Cup in Davos. There, the legendary Bjorn Daly (if I understand correctly, he now lives in Switzerland) organizes competitions for children at the same time as the World Cup races.
In general, I saw and participated in Peresvet a lot of what I would like to see at the main national competitions. Yes, internationals too. Cross-country skiing is becoming more and more popular, it is enough to understand that expectations are growing both among spectators and among us, the participants. The Legkov Race shows how it can be with the right approach and the right organization.
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will broadcast the Russian ski racing championship in Alfa-Bank (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.
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.
