Alexander Bolshunov and Ivan Yakimush were not in any of Zhangjiakou’s cold conditions. However, they understood the race jury’s decision to shorten the men’s final race from 50 miles to 30 miles. Sport’s experts disagreed with the decision.
ZHANGJIAKOU. The men’s 50-kilometer kingship was only a dream come true at the Beijing Olympics when the race jury decided to shorten the distance to just over 28 kilometers due to frost and strong winds.
Arctic conditions did not hurt the Russian duo, who won a double victory in the race, at least Alexander Bolshunov – Ivan Jakimushkin. Bolshunov threw himself into the ground in the finish area only in his emotional turmoil. He had enough energy to go around his own round of glory, and Jakimushkin did not shake from the cold either.
Indeed, Bolshunov said at an international media conference of the medalists that he received information about the shortening of the trip in the morning disappointed.
– When I heard that 30 kilometers were being skied, I was disappointed, because I was prepared to ski 50 kilometers. I understood the decision because of the wind and frost, but when the race started and we warmed up, my mind changed, Bolshunov said.
– Now that we think about it afterwards, we could have skied 50 kilometers, because the weather improved. I didn’t freeze during the race. It wasn’t until we were waiting for flowering that I got a cold because of the wind.
Jakimush also said he understood the competition jury, which made the decision on the terms of the athletes ’health. He himself did not experience the cold during the race.
– I was really sweating during the race, I really didn’t get cold, he said.
Bolshunov has told the media that the more difficult the conditions, the better for him. The Russian skier, who won the title of ski king of the Games with three gold medals, one silver and one bronze, laughed that today’s conditions did not differ much from the conditions under which the royal trip was skied in Norway, among other places.
– There was good visibility here, there is usually no such good visibility in Norway. And I won there too, he said.
Jakimush also reminded that all the teams were behind the jury’s decision and he thought the decision was right. He stated that Bolshunov would have won the race, whether he had skied 30, 50 or 70 kilometers. He also said that Russian skiers are accustomed to harsh conditions.
– Many Russian skiers come from the northern regions. These are conditions familiar to us from childhood. Our competitors just aren’t used to this.
Nor came third in Norway Simen Hegstad Krüger did not believe that there would have been a big change in the results even if 50 kilometers had been skied.
– It’s always hard to know what the right decision is. It was colder outside now and we did our best. It didn’t feel cold, but of course it wouldn’t have been good if the athletes had been injured by the cold, Krüger said.
– It was an ok decision and must be respected.
Experts: Did not affect the results
Sports experts were on different lines after the race as to whether or not the trip should have been shortened. Toni Roponen agreed with the competition jury, Jussi Piirainen again, he definitely disagreed.
– It was only 16 degrees below zero, ie there would have been another 4 degrees to the frost limit. Such air does not breathe and athletes should not be affected if justified by health reasons, Piirainen said.
– The wind felt cold when we were in the shade. During the race, the sun was mostly shining and warming up. The temperature in the sun was below 10 and the effect of the wind was not so cold. It could very well have been skiing all the way without endangering the athletes.
Piirainen compared the situation to a marathon race, which is turned into a half marathon. At that time, the decision will completely change the species in question.
Roponen admits that he missed the taste of lukewarm water due to the shortening of the trip, but he understood the decision.
– The jury has to make decisions and take responsibility for what happens. The decision may have been wrong in retrospect, but I myself would probably have made the same decision if I had been in that situation, Roponen said.
Neither of the experts believes that the shortening of the trip greatly affected the results, as the competition for the tip was as expected. Winning Alexander Bolshunov would have been challenging on any journey.
– The results would have been similar if not the same. There is always such an element in a 50 mile race that one of your favorites breaks. There can be no such black peck in the 30-kilometer race that there will be darkening on the energy side, Roponen said.
– The toughest were at the top. Fifty would have seen more flares and more variation could have come, as extreme endurance comes out more when skiing a long distance, Piirainen stated.
1. Aleksandr Bolshunov ROC
2. Ivan Jakimushkin ROC +5.5
3. Simen Hegstad Krüger NOR +7.0
4. Artem Maltsev ROC +10.7
5. Sjur Röthe NOR +15.8
6. Denis Spitsov ROC +26.2
7. Clement Parisse FRA +28.8
8. Scott Patterson USA +33.9
9. William Poromaa SWE +56.4
10. Maurice Manificat FRA +57.6
19. Perttu Hyvärinen FIN +3.16.8
28. Remi Lindholm FIN +4.22.9