The head coach of Norway’s cross country ski team, Eirik Mur Nossum, described Alexander Bolshunov as a standout, arguing that he may be the best skier on the planet. His assessment reflects Bolshunov’s dominant presence in the sport and the strength of the Russian program in recent seasons.
According to Nossum, Russia has long stood at the forefront of cross-country skiing, with Bolshunov as a defining figure. He noted that while the faces of competitors may shift from race to race, the outcome of any event is never guaranteed and that the Russians cannot be counted out in any field. The dynamic between teams remains unsettled, and Nossum emphasized that personnel decisions about performance lie beyond his remit.
Bolshunov’s performance during the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing highlighted his versatility and consistency. He captured Olympic gold in the skiathlon, won gold in the marathon, and triumphed in the men’s relay. He also earned silver in the individual time trial and bronze in the team sprint, underscoring a remarkable medal haul across multiple disciplines in a single Games.
That collection of results marked Bolshunov as the first Russian skier to accumulate five Olympic medals in a single Games in the modern era. When combined with results from PyeongChang in 2018, Russian athletes contribute a total of nine Olympic medals in cross-country events over the last several Games, illustrating the country’s deep depth in the sport and its sustained ability to compete at the highest level.
In response to broader governance decisions, the International Ski Federation has moved to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition through the end of the current season. This decision affected the final stages of the World Cup circuit and kept certain athletes from showcasing their form on the global stage at key events during this period.
Meanwhile, Vitaly Noritsyn, a former coach of Russia’s national biathlon team, remarked on Bolshunov’s cross-disciplinary potential and his impact on the sport beyond pure skiing. Noritsyn highlighted the cross-over appeal and the opportunities Bolshunov creates for athletes who pursue excellence in adjacent winter sports, reflecting the broader influence that one athlete can have on training, competition strategy, and national performance programs across Russia and beyond.