Alexander LEGKOV

Alexander LEGKOV thrilled the home crowd in Sochi last Sunday leading a Russian sweep of the men's 50 km mass start competition on the final day of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.  The 2013 Tour de Ski champion is now the 2014 Olympic 50 km gold medalist.

At the age of 10 Alexander Legkov started with Cross-Country skiing in Moscow region where he grew up...his first appearance in the international scene took place at the FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships 2002 where he claimed the 30th place over 10 km freestyle...a year later he finished 14th in the FIS Nordic Junior World Championships and made his debut in the World Cup with a 10km race in Kavgolovo (RUS)...from 2005 on he has taken part in all World Championships and competed as well at the Olympic Games in 2006 and 2010...in February 2006 Legkov claimed victory at the U23 World Championships in skiathlon...one of his best years was so far 2006/2007 season where he made his first World Cup podium over 30 km in La Clusaz, he finished second in the FIS Tour de Ski and took as well the second place in the overall World Cup ranking...at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Sapporo he won his first medal at Championships level with the Russian relay... in 2009 at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Legkov was just edged out off the podium in skiathlon with the 4th spot...and the same situation again happened in Vancouver 2010 – same place, same format.

Legkov started strong last World Cup season...he had changed his training in the summer and captured the top position in the inaugural edition of the Ruka Triple – the competition series in Kuusamo...the entire month of December was a success with three podium places and partly wearing the yellow bib for the overall World Cup leader...in the Tour de Ski, Legkov got the swine flue and had to quit from a top position...he made his come back in Rybinsk with a 7th place in skiathlon and victory in the relay but with some bad luck in the first races he couldn’t confirm his shape at the World Championships.

...Legkov is a tough and focused guy, he proved that several times and especially in 2008 in La Clusaz when he made a podium result over 30 km with a broken nose and persisting head ache from a car accident

...he has trained since this summer in an own training group with coach Reto Burgermeister (former Swiss World Cup skier) and Isabel Knauthe. Beside Legkov, Ilya Chernousov, Mikael Deviatiarov Sergei Novikov joined this project, which was founded by Russian ministry of sports.

...he likes fast cars and enjoys drives in his BMW X5; hunting belongs also to his hobbies

...“Petter, I am waiting for you“ – was his statement that concluded the press conference after his Ruka Triple victory with the view on the Tour de Ski. Unfortunately Legkov couldn’t tackle the challenge in the Tour due to getting the swine flue after the first part.

....his parents wanted him skiing but originally he wanted to become an ice hockey player

...at the age of 10 he started skiing but only skating, when he was 15 he skied his first classical. „I finished 75th and everybody was laughing about my classical technique,“ said Legkov with a smile.

...in his youth he had a cracked appendix and came in the last moment to hospital

...he is only about 100 days a year at home,: „It get’s more and more difficult to travel always around and not have time to stay at home,“ stated Legkov.