Bolshunov won the sprint at the ski tournament in Khanty-Mansiysk

On November 8, three-time Olympic champion Alexander Bolshunov won the men's freestyle sprint at the Yugoria ski racing competition. The first snow of 2026" in Khanty-Mansiysk.

For the 29-year-old athlete, this start was the first official performance of the current season. Bolshunov covered the distance of the final race in 3 minutes, 14.25 seconds. The second place was taken by Denis Filimonov, who lost 0.40 seconds to the winner, showing a result of 3 minutes 14.65 seconds.

Ilya Tregubov won the bronze medal, 1.73 seconds behind the leader. Nikolay Cheglakov finished fourth with a lag of 25.91 seconds.

A total of 43 skiers showed up to participate in the men's sprint. The Yugoria Tournament. The First Snow of 2026" takes place in Khanty-Mansiysk from November 7 to 11.

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Russian skier Savely Korostelev — about the chances of admission to international starts and a trip to the Olympics and competition with Bolshunov

A source familiar with the situation reported on November 1 that the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) was not going to grant Bolshunov neutral status this season. Bolshunov complained in August about the FIS's formal approach to reviewing applications from Russian athletes. According to him, the organization forbade him to participate in international competitions, including the selection for the Olympics in Italy.