Italian revival: for the first time in three years, Bolshunov will start internationally

The most titled Russian skier Alexander Bolshunov unexpectedly found himself on the list of participants of the Moonlight Classic night marathon in South Tyrol (Italy), which will be held on February 13. Since the event is not part of the International Ski Federation (FIS) calendar, the three-time Olympic champion managed not only to enter the 30-kilometer classic style race, but also to appear on the list of participants under the Russian flag. If nothing goes wrong, this not-so-famous marathon will be Bolshunov's first start outside Russia since February 27, 2022, when he competed at the World Cup in Lahti, Finland, on the eve of the FIS ban on our athletes.

Night race

In February, a group of four Russian skiers - Alexander Bolshunov, Savely Korostelev, Sergey Volkov and Daria Nepryayeva - took advantage of an incomprehensible pause in the winter competition calendar and traveled to Italy to train. Taking into account the international situation and the fact that the main part of the national team is preparing for the Russian Championships in the high mountains in Armenia, the foreign training of this foursome caused mixed reactions among the fans. On the one hand, our stars got an opportunity to work on the best alpine tracks, including those where the Olympics will be held in a year. On the other hand, putting ourselves in special conditions thanks to personal connections and sponsorship money is not quite fair to our other candidates for a trip to Milan.

However, the skiers' Olympic prospects are currently in a fog. There is no FIS admission even in the neutral status, and whether we will have at least one representative in cross-country skiing at the Games-2026 is a big question. Especially since Bolshunov is a member of the Rosgvardiya and risks not passing the admissions committee even if the IOC makes a positive decision regarding Russian athletes.

The departure to Italy of our main star has already provoked rumors in the Western media about San Sanych's alleged desire to change the flag. The entourage of the famous skier categorically refutes the insinuations, and the head of the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Federation Elena Vyalbe said that Bolshunov's departure abroad was agreed with the leadership of our sport. But the fallout remains, especially since Alexander is not just training in the Alps, but has successfully entered international competitions there.

Moonlight Classic positions itself as a "night race", although in fact the start is held at 20:00 local time, and the finish is expected in about an hour and a bit. Perhaps it's because the course is poorly lit and skiers have to go out in the evening with head flashlights. This is a mass-start classic with double scoring - at 15 and 30 km. And women run together with men - as it happens at mass marathons. Among the participants are mainly specialists in semi-amateur races and veterans. For example, last year the women's race was won by 41-year-old Polish Justyna Kowalczyk, who has long since finished her career in big sports. In general, of course, all this is not the level of the World Cup and not even the level of the Ski Classic series.

But there is a silver lining. Moonlight Classic is not included in the FIS calendar, which means that it may not be subject to sanctions against Russians, which also apply to the marathon series. The fact that Bolshunov was allowed to use the Russian flag is a very good sign, unless, of course, the organizers, under pressure from our opponents, change their minds in the near future. San Sanych is an undoubted contender for victory. There are no opponents of such class in the application, although, on the other hand, for our star the competition in the village of Kompach is a simple start, the result of which does not matter much from the sporting point of view or from the financial point of view. The bonus for the winner - €2 thousand - will hardly pay off Bolshunov's current Italian training camp.

A difficult season

This season is not easy for Bolshunov. His coaches constantly complained about injuries and illnesses, and from November to the end of January he could not win a single victory in the Cup of the country. There were rumors that Alexander not only has health problems, but also a serious loss of motivation after the incredible winning streak he gave out on the domestic scene in the season-2023/24. From this point of view, divorcing himself in Italy now is a very promising strategy. Especially since at the last stage in Izhevsk San Sanych showed that he is gradually coming out of the crisis and at the national championship, which will be held in Kazan from March 1 to 9, he is capable of giving a fight to the young and bold favorites. The 28-year-old champion will stay in Italy until February 21.

- In preparation for the main start of the season, the Russian Championship, we decided to participate in the Moonlight Classic marathon," Yuri Borodavko, Bolshunov's mentor, told Izvestia. - We haven't had competitive practice for a long time. If there is an opportunity, competitions are the best training. Especially a race in mid-mountain conditions. It allows to fit them into the training process. Alexander is declared absolutely on normal conditions. FIS reaction? No one has called yet. If there was one, it would have already appeared in the press.

- This event is a private initiative, not a competition authorized by FIS. Therefore, it is not subject to the rules and regulations of the FIS, - told "Izvestia" in the press service of the organization.

Previously, all our skiers actively used alpine tracks for training. In particular, Bolshunov was preparing here for his triumphant Olympics-2022 in Beijing. However, after the start of the Winter Olympics, the opportunity to travel freely to Europe disappeared, and Russian skiers mostly worked at sports bases in Russia or Armenia. However, some athletes managed to escape to familiar places, including Italy, thanks to personal connections. In 2023, Yulia Stupak trained in the Alps, and in 2024, Sergei Volkov and Daria Nepryayeva. The skiers tried not to publicize these training camps for fear of causing trouble for their foreign partners. However, it's silly to hide now, and if Bolshunov wins the marathon in South Tyrol, it will surely have a certain resonance in the world skiing community.