HERO
Nikolay Kruglov. Emotional Kruglov a priori could not speak badly - the bride came to cheer for him in Oberhof. First, Nikolai cautiously, like an experienced intelligence officer, ran the final stage of the relay, not only not squandering the gained advantage over the formidable Germans, but also multiplying it. Then, contrary to forecasts and the logic of the season, he wiped his nose for World Cup leader Michael Grice in a fleeting sprint. After the second shooting, the Russian was inferior to the three-time Olympic champion a little more than a second, but at the finish he turned on his sweeping move and, to the amazement of 20 thousand spectators, set Grice as a boy.
In the pursuit race, Kruglov finished already in splendid isolation. He was able to support partners - Dmitry Yaroshenko and Maxim Chudov, who took second and third places, respectively. For Nikolai, in the past a wonderful skier and master of ping pong, this is the biggest success in his career. Until now, he had only one victory: two years ago in Pokljuka he won the pursuit.
EXPERIMENT
Ekaterina Yuryeva ran the first stage of the relay. Her debut was tragicomic, and journalists managed to gloat over this. But is only Katya to blame for the fact that she earned a penalty loop, was unable to compete with the leaders on the track and, in addition, mixed up the finish corridor? Responsibility for the unsuccessful performance of Yurieva lies with the national team coaches who threw the young athlete into the thick of it. So you can easily break a girl’s career.
SURPRISE
The victory of Magdalena Neuner in the sprint. At 19, she managed to fall in love with the whole biathlon world. Mentors of the German national team do not dwell on it, although they criticize more than others. She is reproached for running too fast on the highway, which is why the shooting is lame on both legs. In the “stand”, the percentage of hitting the target is catastrophically low - less than 60. However, even two misses in the sprint did not prevent Magdalena from fulfilling her first serious dream - to win at the World Cup. The next goal is a world championship medal. It’s not long to wait ...
GESTURE
Download Vladimir Alikin! After winning the relay race, our golden four - Cherezov, Miracles, Yaroshenko and Kruglov - in a single rush ran up to head coach Vladimir Alikin and, to celebrate, threw him into the air several times. Alikin deserved such a warm attitude. They say that he always defends the interests of the wards, never in vain does he raise his voice on them. A special touch to his work is given by constant, almost every minute contact with the team. Vladimir Alexandrovich literally lives on the track: he encourages athletes, gives them valuable instructions and tips. Being a public figure, he still did not really light up on television screens.
DISAPPOINTMENT
Natalya Guseva. On the eve of the season, she was unanimously called the new national team leader. In all cases, Gusev, the most titled athlete along with Anna Bogaliy, was to lead her friends along, setting the tone both on the ski track and on the shooting range. Alas, four stages of the World Cup have already passed, and the hopes of the coaches have not materialized into the results. Natalia only once truly showed herself by winning the relay finish in Hochfilzen with Katie Wilhelm herself. Almost two months have passed since then. In individual races, Gusev never made her way to the top ten, regularly collecting a bunch of misses. In Oberhof, she overwhelmed the last stage of the relay, having received three (!) Penalties. After this slap in the air (the team took an unprecedented low sixth place), the vacancy of the finisher in our team is open, and the patience of the head coach Valery Polkhovsky reached a critical point. Soon it may even burst ...
QUOTE
“I did not expect a failure in shooting from Katya Yurieva. Unfortunately, she showed her unpreparedness, primarily psychological, to speak at a serious level. Collapsed, crumbled Natalya Guseva. I do not understand why this happened. We have repeatedly said that it is not necessary to rush after rivals, it is better for the time being to go on their own ... But I'm not upset. Better to find possible pain points now than to suddenly find out about them at the World Cup. Now we’ll try other girls in the positions of Yurieva and Guseva, ” Valery Polkhovsky , head coach of the Russian women’s national team, openly admitted to whom he was unsatisfied at Oberhof in an interview with the sports information agency“ Ves Sport ”.
NUMERAL
3,600 cubic centimeters of ice chips were ordered at the fish market closest to Oberhof. This crumb was specially sprinkled on a narrow, like a serpentine, track. The snow sheet was conscientiously saved during five competitive days, despite the tedious rains, strong winds and light smog. The costs of the organizers amounted to more than 250 thousand euros.