Russian skier Alexander Bolshunov won the gold medal at the World Championship for the first time in his career. Bolshunov got the award at the skiathlon race in Oberstdorf (Germany). The Russian overtook the Norwegian skiers, who were considered the leaders of the championship, TASS reports.
Five Norwegian skiers and the Russian took part in the struggle for victory at a 30-kilometer distance during the race. Demonstrating brilliant sportsmanship and endurance, Bolshunov exhausted his pursuers and won a landslide victory. After the end of the race, the rivals admitted that the Russian became the champion by right.
Alexander Bolshunov was awarded to the accompaniment of the anthem of the International Ski Federation (FIS), which sounded instead of the anthem of Russia due to the sanctions of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The skier said that he was annoyed by this situation and did not understand why "clean" athletes were being punished.
At the last world championship, the 24-year-old Russian skier won four silver medals, and the first high-profile successes came to Alexander Bolshunov at the 2018 Olympic Games, where he won three silver and bronze medals. In recent years, the Russian has confirmed the status of the strongest skier on the planet, winning in the overall standings of the World Cup.
Russkiy Mir
