On December 24, the 4th stage of the men’s skiathlon within the scope of the Russian Ski Cup took place in Kirovo-Chepetsk. The winner of the competition was multiple Olympic champion Alexander Bolshunov. He completed the race in 1 hour, 13 minutes and 13.1 seconds.
The silver medal went to Ilya Semikov with +4.9 seconds. Savely Korostelev won the bronze medal (+7.7 seconds).
The fifth phase will take place in the village of Mirny (Kazan) between 11 and 14 January 2024.
Bolshunov won the World Cup twice and won the Tour de Ski. At the Olympic Games in Beijing, the Russian won five medals, including three gold. He was the flag bearer of the Russian team at the closing ceremony of the games.
Bolshunov, like all Russian skiers, was suspended from participating in the final World Cup races, ending the 2021/22 season early. He has not participated in international tournaments since then.
In the spring of 2022, the International Ski Federation (FIS), following the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), decided to suspend Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions until the end of the season. This decision was later extended.
Previously Russian biathlete said about the consequences of frost for your body.