Sergey Ustyugov

© EPA/ANGELIKA WARMUTH, archive

LAHTI /Finland/, March 5. /Spec. Q. TASS/. The world championship on ski sports in the Finnish Lahti will end on Sunday the men’s marathon race at 50 km free style mass start. Who won the tournament two gold medals Russian skier Sergey Ustyugov in case of victory will receive the unofficial title of “king of skis”.

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24-year-old athlete in Lahti became the world champion in the team sprint (along with Nikita Kryukov), winning also in skiathlon (15 km classic style + 15 km free style). Success in the race at 30 km and 50 km on a single world Cup will allow Ustyugov become the “king of skis”. The last such success six years ago was achieved by the Norwegian Petter Northug, previously the two most long-distance world title was won by the Soviet skier Vladimir Kuzin, the Swede gunde Svan and Finn Mika myllyla .

In Lahti on account of Sergei Ustyugov also a silver medal in the relay and individual sprint, while in race on 15 km classic style he did not start.

In case of successful performance at the world Cup Ustyugov shaved his beard. According to him, the competitions on which it was focused solely on winning, over and in the marathon Sergey will start on their own. Coaches such objectives are set. “I want to relax and get pleasure from participating in the contest, just go to start and to do my best,” – said Ustyugov TASS.

The conqueror “Tour de Ski”

Sergey Ustyugov in the current season brilliantly performed at the prestigious new year’s series of the stages of “Tour de Ski”, where he won five races in a row, winning the overall prize. However, the victory in the overall world Cup standings, as in sprint and distance Championships, he does not claim and will not participate in the final stage of the season in Quebec from 17 to 19 March.

The main competitor Ustyugov during a marathon race in Lahti is the Norwegian Martin Sundby, who leads the overall and sprint standings of the world Cup, but the world championship in Lahti has not won any gold medals in individual races. Sundby won the relay team, but his fight against Ustyugov turned part – time- season leaders fled in different stages. But Ustyugov ahead of the Norwegian in the skiathlon and 15 km classic style Sundby has lost first place Finn Ivo Niskanen.

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The final race of the world Cup kicks off at 15:30 GMT. Besides Ustyugov, will start his international team-mates Petr Sedov, Alexey Chervotkin and Andrey Melnichenko.

Marathon race at 50 km is the most prestigious form of skiing, this season it will be held only once – at the world Cup. Last season the race for 50 km freestyle mass start was held at the February world Cup in Oslo and ended with the victory of Sundby (Ustyugov at the start). At the previous world championship in 2015 in the Swedish Falun skiers ran 50 km classic style, won a victory when Northug.

At the Olympic games 2014 in Sochi the 50-kilometer race freestyle was won by Russian skier Alexander Legkov ahead at the finish of teammates Maxim Vylegzhanin and Ilia Chernousov.

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Ustyugov took the blame for lost gold in the relay world Cup

Ustyugov will miss the world Cup finals in ski racing in Canada

Ustyugov during the world Cup, maintains contact with the suspended Cars and Belov