Yelena Välbe
Yelena Välbe in 2021
Country Russia
Full nameYelena Valeryevna Välbe
Born (1968-04-20) 20 April 1968
Magadan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia)
Ski clubCSKA Moscow
World Cup career
Seasons11– (1987, 19891998)
Starts117
Podiums81
Wins45
Overall titles5 – (1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997)
Discipline titles1 – (1 LD: 1997)
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Olympic Games
Representing  Russia
Gold medal – first place1994 Lillehammer4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place1998 Nagano4 × 5 km relay
Representing  Unified Team
Gold medal – first place1992 Albertville4 × 5 km relay
Bronze medal – third place1992 Albertville5 km classical
Bronze medal – third place1992 Albertville15 km classical
Bronze medal – third place1992 Albertville5 km + 10 km
combined pursuit
Bronze medal – third place1992 Albertville30 km freestyle
World Championships
Representing  Russia
Gold medal – first place1993 Falun15 km classical
Gold medal – first place1993 Falun4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place1995 Thunder Bay30 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place1995 Thunder Bay4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place1997 Trondheim5 km classical
Gold medal – first place1997 Trondheim5 km + 10 km
combined pursuit
Gold medal – first place1997 Trondheim15 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place1997 Trondheim30 km classical
Gold medal – first place1997 Trondheim4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place1995 Thunder Bay15 km classical
Representing  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place1989 Lahti10 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place1989 Lahti30 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place1991 Val di Fiemme10 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place1991 Val di Fiemme15 km classical
Gold medal – first place1991 Val di Fiemme4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place1989 Lahti4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place1991 Val di Fiemme30 km freestyle
Junior World Championships
Representing  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place1987 Asiago15 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place1987 Asiago3 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place1986 Lake Placid5 km classical
Silver medal – second place1986 Lake Placid3 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place1987 Asiago5 km classical
Bronze medal – third place1986 Lake Placid15 km freestyle

Yelena Valeryevna Välbe (Russian: Елена Валерьевна Вяльбе, née Trubitsyna; born 20 April 1968) is a Russian former cross-country skier. She won a record-high 14 gold medals (5 in relays) at the FIS World Championships, including all five golds in the 1997 edition. She also won three Olympic gold medals (all in relays) and four bronze medals in various Winter Olympic Games as well as four World Cup Crystal Globes.

She has been president of the Russian Cross-Country Ski Association since 2010, and manager of the Russian National Cross-Country Team since 2012. White Snow, a biographical sports drama about Välbe, was released in 2020–21.

She was elected to the FIS Council in 2021, but after she supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a number of European Ski Federations objected to her participation in the 2022 election, and Välbe's nomination was publicly opposed by the representatives of Sweden, Poland and Finland. As a result, she was removed from the position after garnering the fewest votes.[1] In 2022, Välbe supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying that "we are not at war with Ukraine and no one attacked it."

Career

Summary

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, Välbe won a record-high fourteen gold (1989: 10 km freestyle, 30 km; 1991: 10 km, 15 km, 4 × 5 km relay; 1993: 15 km, 4 × 5 km relay; 1995: 30 km, 4 × 5 km relay), and three silver medals (1989: 4 × 5 km relay, 1991: 30 km, 1995: 15 km), including all five golds at the 1997 championships in Trondheim (5 km, 5 km + 10 km combined pursuit, 15 km, 30 km, and 4 × 5 km relay).[2] She also won three gold (all in relays) and four bronze medals in various Winter Olympic Games as well as the FIS Cross-Country World Cup five times (1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997).[3] Välbe also won the 5 km (1991) and 15 km (1992) competitions at the Holmenkollen ski festival. She received the Holmenkollen medal in 1992.

After retirement

In 2010, Välbe was elected as President of the Russian Cross-Country Ski Association.[4] – FIS 29 June 2010 article accessed 30 June 2010. Late in 2012, she got the position of manager for the Russian Cross-Country Team towards the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. She was also manager for the Russian team during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.[5]

Välbe was elected to the FIS Council in 2021, but after she supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a number of European Ski Federations objected to her participation in the 2022 election, and Välbe's nomination was publicly opposed by the representatives of Sweden, Poland and Finland. As a result, she was removed from the position after garnering the fewest votes.[1]

Views

In 2022, Välbe supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying that "we are not at war with Ukraine and no one attacked it."[6][7]

In March 2023, Välbe said the following about European politics and the United States.[8]

I don't understand why everyone is so afraid of America and dependent on it. The world is ruled only by the United States, why hide it. Europe should think hard now: “Guys, what have we done?” Large corporations fled to America. They used to buy Russian gas for 33 kopecks, now they take expensive American gas for 76 kopecks. Whom did they offend or bent, what should they have done? Maybe something I actually can understand. There is a huge amount of weapons that have been lying in storage for 60-70 years. It's all rusty and rotten, where would you get rid of it? Great, let's put it all in there. Today it is Ukraine.

They depend on the USA, because everyone pays with this dollar. An American bank collapsed, and an insurance company from Sweden, the state, kept all the assets there. All.

European politicians today were 90% chosen from a cohort of people who have some kind of terrible kompromat [compromising materials] on them. There are no other explanations. How dare are you to sell out your people in general, to harm them so badly? The main thing is that the United States of America is satisfied! They whole European policy is like that right now.

Look how Georgia Meloni [of Italy] "changed her shoes", who before the elections shouted that she was against these genders [LGBTQ+ community], that no weapons were going to be supplied [to Ukraine]. She was elected and everything changed. The woman turned by 180 degrees. Don't know.

Of course, I have nothing against the gynecologist Ursula von der Leyen [of the European Union]. Maybe she was an excellent doctor, but as the leader of the European coven, she does not cope very well.

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[9]

Olympic Games

  • 7 medals – (3 gold, 4 bronze)
 Year   Age   5 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
199223BronzeBronzeBronzeBronzeGold
19942566Gold
199829175Gold

World Championships

  • 17 medals – (14 gold, 3 silver)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km 
 classical 
 10 km 
 freestyle 
 15 km   Pursuit   30 km   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
1989206GoldGoldSilver
199122GoldGoldSilverGold
1993244Gold619Gold
1995264Silver12GoldGold
199728GoldGoldGoldGoldGold

World Cup

Season standings

 Season   Age 
Overall Long Distance Sprint
19871823
1989201st place, gold medalist(s)
1990212nd place, silver medalist(s)
1991221st place, gold medalist(s)
1992231st place, gold medalist(s)
1993242nd place, silver medalist(s)
1994253rd place, bronze medalist(s)
1995261st place, gold medalist(s)
1996272nd place, silver medalist(s)
1997281st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)
19982912518

Individual podiums

  • 45 victories
  • 81 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1 1988–89 10 December 1988France La Féclaz, France5 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
214 December 1988Switzerland Campra, Switzerland15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
317 December 1988Switzerland Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
47 January 1989Soviet Union Kavgolovo, Soviet Union15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
519 February 1989Finland Lahti, Finland10 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]1st
625 February 198930 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]1st
711 March 1989Sweden Falun, Sweden15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
8 1989–90 10 December 1989United States Soldier Hollow, United States15 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
918 February 1990Switzerland Pontresina, Switzerland15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
1020 February 1990Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
112 March 1990Finland Lahti, Finland5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
127 March 1990Sweden Sollefteå, Sweden30 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
13 1990–91 8 December 1990Austria Tauplitzalm, Austria10 km + 15 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup2nd
1415 December 1990Switzerland Davos, Switzerland15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
1515 December 1990France Les Saisies, France5 km + 10 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup1st
165 January 1991Soviet Union Minsk, Soviet Union30 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
178 February 1991Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy15 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
1810 February 199110 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]1st
1916 February 199130 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]2nd
202 March 1991Finland Lahti, Finland15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
219 March 1991Sweden Falun, Sweden15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
2216 March 1991Norway Oslo, Norway5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
231991–927 December 1991Canada Silver Star, Canada5 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
248 December 199110 km Pursuit CWorld Cup2nd
2514 December 1991Canada Thunder Bay, Canada5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
264 January 1992Russia Kavgolovo, Russia15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
279 February 1992France Albertville, France15 km Individual COlympic Games[1]3rd
2813 February 19925 km Individual COlympic Games[1]3rd
2915 February 199210 km Pursuit FOlympic Games[1]3rd
3021 February 199210 km Pursuit FOlympic Games[1]3rd
3114 March 1992Norway Vang, Norway15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
32 1992–93 12 December 1992Austria Ramsau, Austria5 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
3318 December 1992Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy15 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
343 January 1993Russia Kavgolovo, Russia30 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
359 January 1993Switzerland Ulrichen, Switzerland10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
3616 January 1993Italy Cogne, Italy10 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
3719 February 1993Sweden Falun, Sweden15 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
3810 March 1993Norway Lillehammer, Norway10 km Pursuit FWorld Cup3rd
3919 March 1993Slovakia Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
401993–9411 December 1993Italy Santa Caterina, Italy5 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
4118 December 1993Switzerland Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
4221 December 1993Italy Toblach, Italy15 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
438 January 1994Russia Kavgolovo, Russia10 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
4412 March 1994Sweden Falun, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
451994–9527 November 1994Sweden Kiruna, Sweden5 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
4614 December 1994Austria Tauplitzalm, Austria10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
4717 December 1994Italy Sappada, Italy15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
4820 December 19945 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
497 January 1995Sweden Östersund, Sweden30 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
5014 January 1995Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
514 February 1995Sweden Falun, Sweden10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
525 February 199510 km Pursuit FWorld Cup1st
5310 March 1995Canada Thunder Bay, Canada5 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]2nd
5418 March 199530 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]1st
5525 March 1995Japan Sapporo, Japan15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
56 1995–96 25 November 1995Finland Vuokatti, Finland5 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
5729 November 1995Sweden Gällivare, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
589 December 1995Switzerland Davos, Switzerland5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
5910 December 199510 km Pursuit CWorld Cup2nd
6013 December 1995Italy Brusson, Italy10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
619 January 1996Slovakia Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia30 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
6213 January 1996Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
632 February 1996Austria Seefeld, Austria5 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
644 February 1996Germany Reit im Winkl, Germany1.0 km Sprint FWorld Cup1st
6525 February 1996Norway Trondheim, Norway10 km Pursuit FWorld Cup2nd
6610 March 1996Sweden Falun, Sweden15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
671996–9723 November 1996Sweden Kiruna, Sweden5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
687 December 1996Switzerland Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
6914 December 1996Italy Brusson, Italy15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
705 January 1997Russia Kavgolovo, Russia15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
7111 January 1997Japan Hakuba, Japan5 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
7212 January 199710 km Pursuit FWorld Cup3rd
7318 January 1997Finland Lahti, Finland15 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
7421 February 1997Norway Trondheim, Norway15 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]1st
7523 February 19975 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
7624 February 199710 km Pursuit FWorld Championships[1]1st
771 March 199730 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
788 March 1997Sweden Falun, Sweden5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
7911 March 1997Sweden Sunne, Sweden1.0 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
8015 March 1997Norway Oslo, Norway30 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
811997–9820 December 1997Switzerland Davos, Switzerland15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st

Team podiums

  • 24 victories – (24 RL)
  • 32 podiums – (30 RL, 2 TS)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)
11986–871 March 1987Finland Lahti, Finland4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stOrdina / Lazutina / Reztsova
2 1988–89 23 February 1989Finland Lahti, Finland4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]2ndShamshurina / Smetanina / Tikhonova
312 March 1989Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndLazutina / Smetanina / Tikhonova
41989–9011 March 1990Sweden Örnsköldsvik, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stYegorova / Lazutina / Tikhonova
51990–9115 February 1991Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]1stYegorova / Smetanina / Tikhonova
610 March 1991Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup1stNageykina / Yegorova / Tikhonova
715 March 1991Norway Oslo, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndNageykina / Smetanina / Tikhonova
81991–9218 February 1992France Albertville, France4 × 5 km Relay C/FOlympic Games[1]1stSmetanina / Lazutina / Yegorova
98 March 1992Sweden Funäsdalen, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndLazutina / Nageykina / Yegorova
101992–9326 February 1993Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]1stLazutina / Gavrylyuk / Yegorova
111993–9422 February 1994Norway Lillehammer, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FOlympic Games[1]1stLazutina / Gavrylyuk / Yegorova
124 March 1994Finland Lahti, Finland4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndNageykina / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
1313 March 1994Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay FWorld Cup1stNageykina / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
141994–9515 January 1995Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup1stDanilova / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
1529 January 1995Finland Lahti, Finland4 × 5 km Relay FWorld Cup1stZavyalova / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
167 February 1995Norway Hamar, Norway4 × 3 km Relay FWorld Cup1stDanilova / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
1712 February 1995Norway Oslo, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stDanilova / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
1817 March 1995Canada Thunder Bay, Canada4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]1stDanilova / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
1926 March 1995Japan Sapporo, Japan4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stGavrylyuk / Lazutina / Martynova
201995–9617 December 1995Italy Santa Caterina, Italy4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup1stLazutina / Gavrylyuk / Yegorova
2114 January 1996Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup1stNageykina / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
222 February 1996Austria Seefeld, Austria6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup3rdZavyalova
2310 March 1996Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stGavrylyuk / Lazutina / Yegorova
241996–9724 November 1996Sweden Kiruna, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup1stGavrylyuk / Lazutina / Yegorova
258 December 1996Switzerland Davos, Switzerland4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndGavrylyuk / Lazutina / Yegorova
2615 December 1996Italy Brusson, Italy4 × 5 km Relay FWorld Cup1stGavrylyuk / Danilova / Yegorova
2719 January 1997Finland Lahti, Finland8 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup2ndGavrylyuk
2828 February 1997Norway Trondheim, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]1stDanilova / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
299 March 1997Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stDanilova / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
3016 March 1997Norway Oslo, Norway4 × 5 km Relay FWorld Cup1stDanilova / Gavrylyuk / Nageykina
311997–987 December 1997Italy Santa Caterina, Italy4 × 5 km Relay FWorld Cup1stChepalova / Lazutina / Danilova
3214 December 1997Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy4 × 5 km Relay FWorld Cup1stNageykina / Lazutina / Danilova

Note: 1 Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

Political career

Since 2001, Välbe has been an adviser to the governor of the Moscow Oblast on organizational issues.

Välbe is a member of the political council of the United Russia party in the State Duma from the regional branch.

Since 2017, Välbe has been a freelance adviser to the Head of the Republic of Khakassia, Viktor Zimin.

She participated in the 2021 Russian legislative election on the United Russia party list. She won in the United Russia primaries and was leader of United Russia's territorial group No. 29, which included the Vladimir and Ivanovo Oblasts. Having won the elections, she refused to be a deputy, and the Central Election Commission transferred her mandate to Aleksey Govyrin.

In 2023, Välbe joined the PutinTeam, whose members supported Vladimir Putin's nomination for the 2024 Russian presidential election.[10]

Personal life

She is estranged from her father. He is Ukrainian-born, and lives in Ukraine.


Formerly she was married to Estonian cross-country skier Urmas Välbe. Together they had one child, Franz. They divorced in 2005. She then married Maxim Dovolnov and gave birth to Polina and Varvara. She now lives in Moscow Oblast.

  • White Snow – a biographical sports drama film about Välbe.

References

  1. 1 2 "Bumpy course for new FIS President Eliasch as the sport's heartlands revolt". www.insidethegames.biz. May 29, 2022.
  2. "VM i Trondheim i 1997" (in Norwegian). Ski-VM 2011 AS. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  3. Mattias Karen (February 27, 2015). "La revanche des Norvégiennes" [Norwegian Revenge]. Le Devoir (in French). Associated Press. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  4. "Presidential elections in Norway, Russia". Retrieved February 24, 2013 Archived October 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Eirik Borud, Ole Kristian Strøm (December 6, 2012). "Denne kvinnen er Russlands nye landslagssjef" [This woman is Russia's new coach]. Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved February 24, 2013.
  6. "Елена Вяльбе: «Мы должны сплотиться вокруг президента и всей ситуации. Мы не воюем с Украиной, и на нее никто не нападал»" [Elena Vyalbe: “We must rally around the president and the whole situation. We are not at war with Ukraine, and no one attacked it.”]. Sports.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  7. "Елена Вяльбе: считаю, что мы должны сплотиться вокруг Путина" [Elena Vyalbe: I think that we should rally around Putin]. betassist.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  8. Вяльбе о США: «Когда есть огромное количество оружия, которое лежит уже 60-70 лет, куда бы от него избавиться? Супер, свалим все туда – сегодня это Украина»
  9. "VAELBE TRUBITSINA Elena". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  10. "Елена Вяльбе: для меня честь быть в команде Путина! Он должен победить" [Elena Vyalbe: it’s an honor for me to be on Putin’s team! He must win]. Sovsport.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-12-20.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.