Cross-country skiing star Alexander Bolshunov has already paid for his appearance at Vladimir Putin’s propaganda event in Moscow by losing an important sponsor. The question is whether the three-time Olympic champion will be presented with an even bigger bill in the future by the international ski association FIS.
The cross-country star has not yet communicated directly that Alexander Bolshunov is one of the supporters of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Numerous pro-Russian images that he published on social media from the beginning of the war and later deleted leave little room for interpretation.
At the same time, as part of the national guard, Bolshunov is a direct beneficiary of the “Putin system”. After his Olympic victories, the despot gave him a new apartment in Moscow, and he was promoted to “captain”. A few days ago, the cross-country skier also took part in Putin’s big propaganda show in Moscow’s Lushniki Stadium.
The Russian already paid for his participation with the loss of an important sponsor. It is not yet clear whether there will be further consequences from the association side, as FIS race director Pierre Mignerey explained in an interview with the Norwegian newspaper “Verdens Gang”.
“I think we should be careful not to react too quickly,” said the Frenchman when asked what he thought about Bolshunov’s performance in Moscow. After all, he does not know whether the superstar took part in the event voluntarily.
This is a “complex issue,” the race director pointed out. “There are so many factors here. They don’t enjoy full freedom. We don’t know what Russian athletes can and can’t do,” said Mignerey, who still hopes Bolshunov can “come back and compete” at some point.
Bolshunov coach ‘doesn’t want to overdo it’
Should the Russian return to the international stage again, he will first have to look for a new outfitter. The German company KinetiXx announced the immediate end of the cooperation a few days after Bolshunov’s appearance in Moscow.
Yury Borodavko, coach of the three-time Olympic champion, doesn’t see that as a big problem. He told Russian state media: “We shouldn’t exaggerate. The time will come when all the problems will be solved. But this is not a topic for public discussion. We are confident that everything will be fine with Alexander’s material.”