Sports Weekend with Izvestia

Boxing

A rematch for the title of absolute world champion in the light heavyweight division. Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol

Two Russian welterweights have dominated their weight class for many years. Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol have collected world championship belts in all four versions. And they were supposed to fight each other in a unification bout, the winner of which would become the first Russian absolute world champion in one of the categories in the history of professional boxing. For several years the fight was disrupted for various reasons - due to injuries of boxers or lack of agreement on the financial component. As a result, in October 2024 they finally met in the ring. This fight became one of the main events of the year in world sports. According to its results, Beterbiev won by a small margin. And it was immediately clear that the rematch will cause no less excitement. It will take place next weekend in Riyadh, where the 40-year-old Arthur will try again to defeat his 34-year-old opponent.

February 22, 23:00, Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). Live broadcast on Channel One

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Russian Championship

The National Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship is coming to an end. It has an unusual format, as it is held under new rules and with new disciplines - trios and duets. Medals have already been won in these disciplines, as well as in individual all-around. And in the remaining two days there will be competitions in group exercises, which are divided into all-around, where gymnasts will perform with all apparatus and in all types of programs, as well as more local disciplines - with two apparatus and in two types. Based on the results of this Russian championship, the best will be selected for the national team, which, if sanctions are lifted, may soon compete on the international stage.

February 21, 10:00 - 20:00, group exercises, "two species" and all-around. February 22, 10:00 - 11:30, group exercises "one subject" and "two kinds". Track and field and soccer complex CSKA (Moscow). "Irina Viner Gymnastics Palace" (Moscow). Live broadcasts on Match TV and Match! Country

Biathlon

Cup of the strongest athletes

At the end of last week, a multi-day biathlon tournament started near Minsk, bringing together the best Russian and Belarusian athletes. It is held in parallel with the World Championships and has become a worthy alternative to the international competition, where our athletes are not yet allowed. The Cup of the Strongest will finish next weekend. It remains to hold the mixed relay and mass start.

February 22, sprint: 11:00, mixed relay. February 23, mass start: 11:00, women; 12:30, men. Republican Olympic Training Center for Winter Sports "Raubichi" (Minsk, Belarus). Live broadcasts on Match TV and Match! Arena

Tennis

WTA-1000tournaments

As usual, the most prestigious tennis tournaments are held in the Middle East for most of February. This week is no exception. Two major tournaments - women's in Dubai and men's in Doha - will conclude next weekend. There, it's down to the semifinals. In the WTA-1000 in the Emirates, our Mirra Andreeva will face a semifinal against Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan. And in ATP-500, Russian Andrey Rublev will face Canadian Felix Auger-Oliassime at the same stage.

February 21, 16:00 - 20:00, semifinals. February 2, 18:00, finals. Dubai Duti Free Tennis Centre (Dubai, UAE), Tennis and Squash Center (Doha, Qatar). Live streaming on WTA and ATP websites

Hockey

KHL regular season. "Avtomobilist vs. Severstal, Spartak vs. Dynamo (Minsk), Salavat Yulaev vs. CSKA.

February 23 will be exactly one month until the end of the regular KHL championship. Each team has 13 or fewer games left to play before some of them finish the season, and the rest will start the playoffs, almost all 16 participants of which have already been determined. But there is still intrigue in the distribution of places between them. From here, at least three games next weekend will be important. One of the Eastern Conference leaders, Yekaterinburg's Avtomobilist, will host the season's biggest sensation, Severstal Cherepovets, which even with one of the smallest budgets in the league can finish the regular season second in the West. Spartak Moscow, a contender for the same position, will play at home against Dinamo Minsk, which is also pushing for the top of the table. Two more contenders for the leading positions in the East and West - Salavat Yulaev Ufa and CSKA Moscow - will play against each other in the capital of Bashkortostan.

February 22, 15:00, Uralets Stadium (Ekaterinburg). February 23: 14:00, Megasport Arena (Moscow); 14:30, Ufa Arena (Ufa). Live broadcasts on KHL TV, KHL Prime and Kinopoisk