Published on: 2026-04-06
Source: Phosagro – Phosagro – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Kirovsk (Murmansk Oblast). April 6, 2026.In Apatity and Kirovsk, the final of the PhosAgro Russian Cup in cross-country skiing “Khibiny Spring 2026” took place.
This year, the grand opening of the final stage of the PhosAgro Russian Cup in cross-country skiing took place in Apatity, at the V.K. Egorov Palace of Culture.
“Already traditionally in the spring we meet in Khibiny, and this year was no exception!” – addressed the guests of the opening ceremony.three-time Olympic champion, President of the Russian Ski Racing Federation Elena Vyalybe. – Thank you to the company “PhosAgro” and all the organizers for what you do and how you hold the Cup final! The athletes all like it – and this is the guarantee that we will see a bright, spectacular fight.
The decisive phase of preparation for the main ski season starts began a few weeks before the beginning of the competitions. It was complicated by a persistent thaw that spared neither the snow in the mountains nor on the city streets. However, the organizers managed to do everything so that the ski complexes of the two cities were in optimal condition by the time they met with the strongest skiers of the country.
“The snow at the stadium and on the track this year is about twice less than last year,” he saidDirector of the sports and wellness complex “Gornyak”, which oversees the ski complex “Tirvas”, Anton Trushenko. – This required a new outfit – let’s just say, a jewelry one. We reduced the number of heavy equipment and groomed the ski trail with a light snow groomer, and when it got really hot, we didn’t groom at all with snow machines equipped with mounted hardware. Such an outfit justified itself.
The final stage of the Cup consisted of six competition days, and its program included races in freestyle at 3 and 10 km, in classic style at 10 and 15 km, and a sprint.
Athletes and coaches noted excellent course preparation and a high level of event organization.
“The organizers worked very hard. The snow is well-packed, the ski track is excellently prepared. The entire organization is at a very high level. It is no worse than at a World Cup stage. It remains to say thanks to the federation leaders, the FosAgro leaders, the Russian Ministry of Sports, and the regional sports committee,” he said.Senior coach of the Russian national cross-country skiing team Yuri Borodavko.
The honorary guests of the final stage of the PhosAgro Russian Cup were a four-time Olympic champion, silver medalist of the Olympic Games, eight-time USSR champion, honored master of sports of the USSR, honored coach of Russia Nikolay Zimyatov; Olympic champion, silver medalist of the Olympic Games, USSR champion, honored master of sports of the USSR, honored coach of Russia Mikhail Devyatyarov; three-time medalist of the Winter Olympic Games, two-time World Cup winner, world champion, honored master of sports of the USSR, honored coach of Russia Alexander Zavyalov; and also an Olympic champion, five-time USSR champion,Honored Master of Sports of the USSR Lyubov Muzyacheva.A rich program was organized for us, with the main focus on meetings with young athletes from Kirovsk and Apatity. They visited the “PhosAgro School” of the two cities, as well as the branch of the Murmansk Arctic University in the city of Kirovsk. In addition, the honorable guests of the final of the PhosAgro Russia Cup in cross-country skiing took part in the ceremonial opening of the traditional corporate family competition “PhosAgro Generation.”
The spectacular conclusion of the final stage of the PhosAgro Cup of Russia was the mass start of the Tour “Bolshoy Vudyavr” – a freestyle race, a 10-kilometer distance laid from the “Gornyak” stadium to the panoramic “Plato” complex at the top of the northern slope of Mount Aikuaivenchorr. The most difficult section of the route was the ascent to Aikuaivenchorr – about two kilometers in length. The total elevation gain for the athletes reached 580 meters, with an elevation gain on the slope of 460 meters.
The result of the intense struggle on the Sibinski slope among women was the third consecutive victory of Alina Pekletsova (Vologda region). Among men in the Tour “Bolshoy Vudyavr” for the second time in a row, the strongest was Alexander Bolshunov (Republic of Tatarstan).
According to the results of the overall classification, the holder of the PhosAgro Russian Cup in cross-country skiing for the 2025/2026 season among men became Sergey Ardashev (Republic of Tatarstan). Among women, the strongest skier in the country was Alina Pekletsova (Vologda Oblast). Cups, medals, as well as certificates for cash prizes were awarded to them in the center of Kirovsk, in the Theatrical Courtyard of the City Palace of Culture, where the solemn closing ceremony of the competition took place.
In this season, on the initiative of the PhosAgro company, the prize fund of the final stage of the Russian Cup was increased and reached 16.9 million rubles. Traditionally, monetary prizes were awarded to the winners and prize-winners of the competition who took places from first to sixth in each discipline, as well as to the coaches of the winning athletes.
“For the company ‘PhosAgro’, for Kirovsk and Apatity it is a great honor to host such large-scale, significant competitions for the fourth time already. Moreover, this season we were entrusted for the first time with holding the first stage of the Russian Federation Cup. I express the general opinion of the organizing committee if I say that this is a very high assessment of the sports facilities and hospitality infrastructure created here by the company ‘PhosAgro’ in partnership with the government of the Murmansk region. At the same time, this is a powerful stimulus for us to continue working, strengthening the foundation of the new ski capital of the country,” he emphasized.Deputy General Director of PJSC “PhosAgro”, Vice-President of the Russian Ski Racing Federation Valery Fyodorov.
According to Elena Vyalybe, the new meeting of residents of Kirovsk and Apatity with the strongest skiers of the country will take place next spring.
“We usually create the calendar for the next season in June. Therefore, it’s premature to say which regions will be chosen for the competitions. But you can be absolutely sure that the Russian Cup final will traditionally take place in Kirovsk,” emphasized the president of the FHL.
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