Bolshunov defeats wind and weather at final Men's race at Beijing 2022
Feb 19, 2022·Cross-Country
An exceptional situation awaited on the second last competition day at the Winter Olympic Games 2022. Instead of the prestigious 50km Mass Start, an alternative of 30km was on schedule due to strong winds and cold temperatures on course.
Facing headwind, 60 athletes were lined up at the start. It was a tough going into the first few kilometers. A large group had taken the lead but after the first lap, major pace setters, such as Johannes Høsflot Klæbo started to fall back.
Up front, Alexander Bolshunov (ROC) stepped into the leading position and set the pace. The Norwegian distance experts Hans Christer Holund and Simen Hegstad Krüger chose to change skis half way into the race. Krüger managed to catch up to the front again and took over the pace maker role. In the final lap, the front consisted of ten runners still. All awaited who will leap ahead and make an attempt to stretch out the group.
All eyes were on Alexander Bolshunov as he started pushing the speed up. His team colleagues Ivan Yakimushkin and Artem Maltsev followed up together with the two Norwegians Simen Hegstad Krüger and Sjur Røthe.
It was down to the five runners but Bolshunov kept on pushing throughout the steep uphills. Upon entering the stadium, he had gained a clear margin and celebrated his third Olympic victory at crossing the finish line. With his win, Alexander Bolshunov continutes his successful participation at Olympic Winter Games: in every race he participated at (9 in total so far) he has never been off the poidum!
With Ivan Yakimuskin, the Russian Olympic Committee collected the second medal of the event. For the 25 year-old, it was the first medal at Olympic Winter Games at his second participation.
With Simen Hegstad Krüger, the Olympic podium got completed. For the Norwegian, the bronze medal felt like a victory as during his training camp before the Olympics, he got infected with Covid.
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