/

Maxim vylegzhanin skier biography. Maxim Vylegzhanin: “Family is more important to me than Olympic gold

Maxim Mikhailovich Vylegzhanin(October 18, 1982, Sharkan, Udmurt ASSR, USSR) - Russian skier. Three-time vice-champion of the 2014 Winter Olympics in relay, team sprint and ski marathon... 2015 world champion in skiathlon. Three-time vice-champion of the world, winner winter Universiade 2007, bronze medalist of the 2013 Tour de Ski multi-day ski race, multiple champion Russia. Honored Master of Sports of Russia. Lives in the city of Izhevsk.

Sports career

Maxim Vylegzhanin is the 2015 world champion in the 30 km skiathlon, a three-time Olympic silver medalist, as well as a three-time vice-world champion in individual races: 2009 in the 50 km freestyle mass start, 2011 in the 30 km skiathlon and in the 50 km freestyle mass start.

Winner World Universiade(2007) 30 km freestyle, bronze medalist in the 15 km pursuit.

He was a member of the Russian Olympic team at the Vancouver Olympics. Best result- 8th place in the 50 km race.

Three-time champion of Russia at distances of 30 km (duathlon, 2007) and 50 km (2007 - mass start in classical style, 2008 - mass start in free style).

On account of Maxim Vylegzhanin, two victories at the World Cup stages at a distance of 30 km free style in the 2010/2011 season and at a distance of 15 kilometers in a classic style at the stage "Tour des ski" in Oberhof in the season 2012-2013.

February 9, 2014 at Olympic Games in Sochi took 4th place in skiathlon (15 km in classic style + 15 km skating), losing at the finish to the Norwegian athlete Martin Sondby. On February 16, 2014, he won Olympic silver in the relay four (Dmitry Yaparov, Alexander Bessmertnykh, Alexander Legkov, Maxim Vylegzhanin). On February 19, 2014, he won his second silver medal at the Sochi Olympics alongside Nikita Kryukov in the classic team sprint. On the last day of the Olympics, Maxim became the second freestyle in the 50 km mass start.

World Championships and Olympic Games

Year Location Discipline A place
2009 World Cup Liberec Skiathlon 30 km 24
2009 World Cup Liberec 15 km Kl 45
2009 World Cup Liberec Marathon 50 km St. 2
2011 World Cup Holmenkollen Skiathlon 30 km 2
2011 World Cup Holmenkollen 15 km Kl 10
2011 World Cup Holmenkollen Relay 4x10 7
2011 World Cup Holmenkollen Marathon 50 km St. 2
2013 World Cup Val di Fiemme Skiathlon 30 km 5
2013 World Cup Val di Fiemme 15 km Sv 57
2013 World Cup Val di Fiemme Relay 4x10 km 3
2013 World Cup Val di Fiemme Marathon 50 km CL 8
2014 OI Sochi Skiathlon 30 km 4
2014 OI Sochi Relay 4x10 km 2
2014 OI Sochi Team sprint 6x1.8 km CL 2
2014 OI Sochi Marathon 50 km St. 2
2015 WCH Falun Skiathlon 30 km 1
2015 WCH Falun Relay 4x10 km 4
2015 WCH Falun Marathon 50 km 4

World Cup performance statistics

2004-2005
Pragelato Lahti Oslo Falun Outcomes
30 D KS 6x1.2 Cl 15 Sv 50 cl 30 D E 4x10 Points A place
37 6 66 6 15 7 56 67
2005-2006
Kuusamo Nove Mesto na Morave Otepää Falun Oslo Outcomes
15 cl 15 Sv C 1.2 Sv 15 Sv 15 cl 20 D 50 Sv Points A place
59 29 32 DNS 42 49 29 7 152
2006-2007
Gallivare Kuusamo Val d Aosta La Clusa Oslo Falun Outcomes
15 Sv E 4x10 From 1.2 Cl 15 cl 30 Sv Mst E 4x10 50 cl 30 D Points A place
33 13 54 78 65 8 7 22 45 79
2007-2008
Beitoshtolen Davos Rybinsk Tour de Ski Canmore Otepää Liberec Falun Oslo Outcomes
15 Sv E 4x10 15 cl E 4x10 30 Sv Mst 102 cm 30 D From 1.2 Cl 15 Sv C 1.2 Sv 15 cl 11.4 Sv 30 D 50 Sv Points A place
62 11 45 12 16 21 20 56 53 60 53 52 48 37 127 51
2008-2009
Gallivare Kuusamo La Clusa Davos Tour de Ski Rybinsk Lahti Trondheim Falun Final KM Outcomes
15 Sv E 4x10 15 cl 30 Sv Mst 15 cl 102 cm 15 Sv Mst 15 Sv 50 cl Mst 40 cm Points A place
41 14 35 38 41 15 28 6 4 27 290 25
2009-2010
Beitoshtolen Kuusamo Davos Rogla Canmore Lahti Oslo Falun Final KM Outcomes
15 Sv E 4x10 15 cl C 1.0 Sv 30 cl Mst 15 Sv C 1.7 Cl 30 D E 4x10 50 Sv Mst 40 cm Points A place
50 2 2 9 3 49 16 4 4 18 4 532 8

Disqualification

On December 27, 2016, Elena Vyalbe, President of the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Federation, announced that Maxim Vylegzhanin was temporarily suspended from participation in the competition due to suspicion of violation anti-doping rules.

Equipment

Uses Fischer skis. Clothes of the firm "Adidas"

Awards and titles

Russian skier Maxim Vylegzhanin made an amazing comeback today, finishing third in the Holmenkollen marathon. After the race, with the help of an interpreter, he gave an interview to the Norwegian edition of Dagbladet, in which he talked about what this podium means to him. For your attention - a translation from the Norwegian words of the Russian, as well as the statements of several of his rivals.

Maxim Vylegzhanin:
"I love performing in Holmenkollen"

- I am very glad to be back and can compete again here in Holmenkollen. I was hoping to win, but I'm very happy with the third place, says the Russian.

He does not hide that Last year became a nightmare for him. Just like Alexander Legkov and other suspended IOC and FIS Russian stars cross-country skiing, he lived not knowing how the situation would be resolved.

- It was very difficult for me. One day there is a desire to train. And the next - you are tired and want to end your career. It was a very difficult period, - says Vylegzhanin.

He is outraged that the decision to dismiss was made on the basis of the testimony of one person - the former director of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov.

- There is nothing good when they listen to the opinion of one person and make a decision on its basis. How can you draw conclusions based on McLaren's work alone? Why doesn't anyone follow the normal rules? If you have not tested positive, then you should not be suspended.

- But the McLaren report provided evidence that samples were swapped during the 2014 Games in Sochi?

- You see the CAS solution. We should proceed from it, - says Vylegzhanin.

The Russian admits that he is very glad to have the opportunity to perform in Holmenkollen, with which he has good memories.

- It's great to make a comeback in Holmenkollen. This place is special for me. It's absolutely amazing that people pitch their tents and spend the night here, waiting for the race, creating an insanely cool event. I love performing here.

Hans Christer Holund: "I will assume that in the future we will rarely see Vylegzhanin and Legkov"

The Norwegian did not express delight at the return of the Russian to the World Cup.

- Is it pleasant that Vylegzhanin returned?

- No. I do not know what to say. He has a story. If there is truth about what became known about Sochi, then he probably should have been elsewhere, - said Holunn. - Now a new generation of Russian skiers has appeared, so I suppose that in the future we will rarely see Vylegzhanin, Legkov and the whole group.

Andrew Musgrave:
"It's a little strange that they are back."

According to the Briton, the appearance of previously suspended Russian skiers on the track looks strange.

- But we must proceed from what decisions were made. For me, this is quite normal, because he was given the command to speak by those in power. But it's a little strange that they returned.

- Do you have any contact?

- We said hello a couple of times, but there is no special contact.

Daniel Ricardsson:
"Congratulated him right after the race"

The Swede showed the greatest diplomacy in assessing the situation.

- Well, what can I say ... He was allowed to speak again, so it's hard to have a lot of opinions on this. His doping suspension has been canceled and I try to think that those who make the decisions know what they are doing. Walking around and thinking differently will make it difficult to compete, ”Ricardsson told Expressen. - His performance was very strong considering how little he ran in the World Cup this season. I congratulated him immediately after the race, but we did not communicate anymore.

Translated from Norwegian and Swedish

Maxim Vylegzhanin, or "Prince Serebryany", as his name is for a large number of silver awards - universal skier, three-time Olympic medalist in Sochi, champion and vice-champion of the world. The Udmurt athlete honorably continues the victorious traditions of fellow countrymen - Galina Kulakova and Tamara Tikhonova.

Childhood and youth

Maxim Vylegzhanin comes from the village of Sharkan in the Republic of Udmurtia, where he was born in October 1982. The family is simple: father Mikhail is an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, after retirement he works as an ambulance driver, mother Rufima is in charge of the children's library. Children - daughter Natalya, sons Maxim and Alexander - from an early age are accustomed to hard country work.

Little Maxim started skiing at the age of 9. I really wanted to go in for sports, but there were no other sections in the village. In the summer, the boy played football, was also fond of photography. A year later, Vylegzhanin won the first race in his biography. As the skier said, he ran the distance, took the skis and went home. I found out that I had won only two days later.

In 2015, when Vylegzhanin won gold at the World Championship, the Sharkan Children and Youth Sports School was named after an outstanding graduate.

After school, Maxim entered the police school, then he began to take skiing more seriously. Success allowed him to get a place at the Institute of Physical Education in Izhevsk. If not for sports, Maxim would have chosen the Suvorov School and a military career.

Sport

The sports career of a skier was difficult. At the very beginning, he was invited to the national team for the summer training camp, and in the winter, when the main starts began, he was expelled from the national team. Nevertheless, Maxim did not give up and continued to win a place first in the youth team, then in the main team.

Serious starts Maxim Vylegzhanin began in 2005 with performances at the World Cup. The skier, as they say, harnessed slowly. He finished the first season in 67th place, the next and even worse - in 152th overall. For the next three seasons, Maxim gradually increased his pace. The best result in the World Cup is the 2009-2010 season and 8th place in the general table of ranks. Then he put in his piggy bank 2 silver medals and one bronze medal.


The 2007 Universiade turned out to be more successful. In Turin, Italy, Maxim conquered the highest step of the podium, and also received a bronze medal. The skier did not go to the Olympics held in the same city.

The world championships turned out to be more generous in awards. In 2009 in the Czech Republic and in 2011 in Norway, Vylegzhanin won 3 silver medals - in the skiathlon and the 50 km marathon. In 2013, in the Italian Val di Fiemme, Maxim won the bronze in the relay.


Maxim won in his favorite skiathlon and at the world championship in the Finnish Falun 2015. This time he was supported with silver by Nikita Kryukov and Alexey Petukhov, who took part in the team sprint. The main pool of awards was taken away by colleagues from Germany and Norway.

At the Vancouver Olympics, the skier only finished 8th in the marathon. But the home Olympics in Sochi gave the audience an enchanting finish in the 50 km race, when the entire podium was taken Russian skiers, Maxim Vylegzhanin and Ilya Chernousov.

In addition, the athlete could have received bronze in the skiathlon. But at the finish line, the skier was cut off by the representative of the Norwegian team Martin Sundby. Despite the fact that the "Viking" clearly broke the rules, panel of judges did not heed the protest of the Russian team and limited herself to only a warning.

But following the results of the competition in the team sprint, Vylegzhanin opposed the filing of a protest. This time, towards the end of the relay, a German skier fell, hit the Finn and hit Nikita Kryukov, who lost speed. Even in this situation, the Finnish team came to the finish line first. Germany has filed a protest. Maxim, however, considered that the fall was an accident, from which no one was immune. As a result, the Russians won a silver medal.

However, by his own admission Olympic medalist, he remembers the year of the Games not by medals, but by an event that happened in the family - the birth of a son.


In February 2016, at the Holmenkollen marathon, Vylegzhanin won a bronze medal at a distance of 50 km and won the World Cup in Lahti. In addition to skiing, Maxim pays attention to other sports. In the same 2016, the skier received a silver medal at the Russian amateur triathlon championship.

At the end of 2016, the Russian won the 10 km race and the classic sprint on international competitions in Finland. According to the results of the competition, the national team for the World Cup was formed.

Then the International Olympic Committee announced the start of an investigation into anti-doping rule violations committed at the Sochi Olympics. In a subsequent press release, the names of the athletes under investigation were not disclosed.


However, the names of six athletes suspended by the International Federation very quickly appeared on the Web. skiing from international competitions. The IOC's claims, according to the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Federation, consisted of mechanical damage to containers with doping samples. The name of Maxim Vylegzhanin was also on the list.

The Udmurt athlete twice filed an appeal in The International Federation and both times she deviated. For this reason, Maxim missed the World Cup in Lahti. Subsequently, guided by the report of the World Anti-Doping Agency, the IOC completely imposed a lifelong disqualification for the skier, annulled the results of the Sochi Games, which automatically implied deprivation of awards.

Personal life

Maxim has a reliable rear. All-round support is provided by Albina's wife and son Artem. The skier's wife is a well-known Izhevsk journalist, she works as a news editor on the TV channel "My Udmurtia" famous athlete... At first, the contacts were working - interviews and nothing more. The wedding of famous people, which took place in 2012, turned out to be an expensive and spectacular event.


Albina took her husband's surname six months later, explaining that it was difficult for a journalist who had already earned a name for himself to sign with a different surname. The girl made a surprise to her husband - by the end of the World Cup she became Vylegzhanina. Son Artem was born in June 2014. The athlete admits that for the sake of his son he started a page on Instagram to post his first photos there. In addition, fans constantly asked for anything from training or competition to be posted.


Maxim collects figurines of skiers, but at the same time remains his main passion, hobby and work. ski race... In the homeland of the athlete, in Izhevsk, they conduct all-Russian competitions roller skis for the prizes of Maxim Vylegzhanin.

Maxim Vylegzhanin now

In the pre-Olympic season, the Udmurt skier was included in the Russian national team.

In November 2017, 11 months after the announcement of the disqualification, Maxim took part in international competitions included in the FIS schedule. In an emotional post on Instagram, the skier said that the competition turned out to be spontaneous, he did not think about the results, the main thing was to put on a number, go to the track and feel the spirit of competition again.


Meanwhile, sporty arbitration court examined the appeal of the Russian Ski Federation. The IOC decision to disqualify Vylegzhanin and another 27 of his colleagues, the medals were returned to the athletes.


Now the Federation and the athletes intend to judicially recover the moral and material damage caused by the unfounded accusation of doping. In addition, it is planned to participate previously suspended skiers in the World Cup and Continental Cup.

Awards and achievements

  • Honored Master of Sports of Russia
  • Commander of the Order of Honor
  • 2009 - World Championship silver medalist
  • 2011 - twice silver medalist of the World Championship
  • 2013 - bronze medalist of the World Championship
  • 2014 - three times Olympic silver medalist
  • 2015 - world champion in skiathlon
Share this