Last week, skiers raced with biathletes in Khanty-Mansiysk. It’s quite difficult to call it a competition: first, we agreed to level the playing field a little. Everyone raced on identically prepared skis.
Furthermore, only basic paraffins were used. Environmentalists, be careful: no fluorinated powders or accelerators! The skis did not, let’s say, ride entirely competitively. But it’s the same for everyone.
Victories in cross-country skiing consist of four elements:
— The skis themselves. Yes, manufacturer sponsors always offer the best skis to the leaders, there is no secret here. You can’t buy skis like this in a store. You don’t need it, believe me.
— Next comes the quality of their preparation. “Fluorine powder” skis fly compared to “just paraffin” skis. The downside is that it is difficult, expensive and – in part – now banned by the FIS.
— Third part: the work of a coach, or rather the preparation for specific competitions. If I am not disappointed with special training, then I have absolutely no chance of winning in my favorite “skating”, not only against Natasha Terentyeva, but also against five or six other strong skiers. If they don’t let her down, everything is exactly the opposite.
Memo to fans: it is correct to compare results only during the main competitions of the season, for which all leaders are specially preparing.
— Finally, the last and fourth element: the ability of the athlete herself at a specific distance. Here you have talent, racing technique and an established foundation, which is also important, especially in distance races.
In Khanty-Mansiysk, of course, no one had eyeliner. Everyone was running “loaded” after intensive training. It’s just 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 test practice, but I highly doubt the official competition would have attracted a full stadium.
Who in our biathlon can be called “disruptive”
…But for biathletes everything is a little different. We scattered them there, in Ugra, like greyhounds. The comrades are already in great shape during their first peak of form this season and are preparing for their first competitions. And there is a reason.
I think Alexei Nujdov motivated them well. Biathletes will have a new competition at the end of this week: the International League of Biathlon Clubs Cup. With a prize of one million rubles for the winners. What do you think is a good reason to be in great shape? I love the buzzword “disruptor” (the one who breaks habits and all established patterns). So, comrade Nuzhdov is an excellent disruptor, he perfectly motivates the athletes of his sport to start the season in the best possible shape. Or is anyone against it?
Why is the flow of health complaints from athletes dangerous?
And we’re already at Thea’s peak. In November, this village in Khakassia is the cross-country skiing capital of Russia. Today, hundreds, if not thousands, of athletes of all ages and skill levels enjoy the snow here. But here’s a story that happened from the very first practice, literally on the first climb up the stadium.
Two skiers around fifteen years old are talking. Judging by their appearance and especially their equipment, they are serious about it. I think at the level of a candidate for a sports master’s degree. They enthusiastically discuss the latest developments in skiing. Do you know which ones?.. The injuries of our main champions. They discuss it in detail, with full knowledge of the facts. They have read and heard enough… And their conclusion is something like this: “Why the hell do I need this!
It’s true: to win, you have to train more and more every year. Yes, injuries happen, just like in any sport. Yes, the media and some fans have an unhealthy and “jaundiced” interest in the health of athletes. But why should we allow this?
Of course, each champion athlete decides for himself what he wants to bring or not to the public in that region. But I have a question: have you ever thought, dear colleagues, that stories about injuries in all the details of diagnosis are bad publicity for your (our) sport? When a journalist comes to report on a new restaurant, he is not told that the cook is sick, the waitress has sore legs and the loader quit because of the hard work. Because no one will go to such a restaurant.
Or our closest competitors for public attention: musicians and artists. Are they telling everyone in the preseason interviews how bad the singer is, the guitarist is even worse, and how an ambulance even came to see the drummer last night? We will only learn all this in their memoirs many years later. And during promotions and presentations, they are happy and smiling.
And fans listen to the stream of complaints and diagnoses of athletes – and from there all these “physical education healers, sports cripples” are born. Who would send a child to play a sport that “gets all the juice out and gives nothing in return”? Of course, this all makes no sense. Have you seen Alexander Legkov, who at 40 can do 40 pull-ups? And Alexandre Panjinski, who ran a 2h30 marathon this year? Do they look like they are “mutilated by sport”?!
This is absolutely our question: we ourselves must work to ensure that children are encouraged to practice skiing, and not racing, chess or water polo. This is a competition for resources. This is the only way to ensure that everyone – fans, sponsors, authorities – is interested in skiing. Remember, my young neighbors from Théa: skiing at the highest level is synonymous with strength, endurance and a confident financial situation. And health, if you take care of it correctly.
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.
