While the 24-year-old Russian clearly isn’t in at the top of his game, a virus is not to blame for Alexander Bolshunov’s sub-par performances. 

Far behind his game

The World Cup races in Davos, Switzerland, ended up being another downer for the 24-year-old Russian. On Saturday, Bolshunov has to sit out the sprint due to a heavy cold. 

Against the advice of the president of the Russian ski federation Elena Välbe, Bolshunov insisted on racing the 15-kilometer skate competition on Sunday. However, he finished 12th and was far behind Simen Hegstad Krüger (NOR) and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (NOR) in first and second place, respectively. 

So after yet another weekend of disappointing results, Bolshunov underwent a battery of medical tests in Davos earlier this week. The test results are in, and show no signs of virus infection. 

Ready to race

The Russian team doctors are still waiting for the results from the allergy tests. But cleared of any virus infection, Bolshunov and his coach Yuri Borodavko are now headed for the World Cup in Dresden, Germany, on December 18 and 19. 

Borodavko also confirms that Bolshunov will race the Tour de Ski, aiming to qualify for the 2022 Olympics in February. The brutal stage race starts in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, on December 28, and concludes with the traditional monster hill climb on Alpe Cermis in Val di Fiemme, Italy, on January 4. 2022.