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, including all five golds at the
1997 World Championships. She also won three Olympic gold medals and four bronze medals in various
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were he ...
as well as four
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
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
''White Snow'' (russian: Белый снег, Bely sneg) is a 2020 Russian biographical sports drama film directed by Nikolay Khomeriki.
The film is based on real events that happened at the 1997 FIS Cross-Country World Cup. For the first time in ...
'', a biographical sports drama about Välbe, was released in 2020–21.
She was elected to the FIS Council in 2021, but after she in 2022 supported the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, a number of European Ski Federations objected to her participation in the 2022 election, her nomination was publicly opposed by representatives of Sweden, Poland, and Finland, and she was removed from the position after she garnered the fewest votes.
Career
Summary
At the
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships is a biennial nordic skiing event organized by the International Ski Federation (FIS). The World Championships was started in 1925 for men and opened for women's participation in 1954. World Championship e ...
, 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 x 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
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
(5 km, 5 km + 10 km combined pursuit, 15 km, 30 km, and 4 × 5 km relay). She also won three gold (all in relays) and four bronze medals in various
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were he ...
as well as the
FIS Cross-Country World Cup
The FIS Cross-Country World Cup is an annual cross-country skiing competition, arranged by the International Ski Federation (FIS) since 1981. The competition was arranged unofficially between 1973 and 1981, although it received provisional recogn ...
five times (1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997). Välbe also won the 5 km (1991) and 15 km (1992) competitions at the
Holmenkollen ski festival
The Holmenkollen Ski Festival ( no, Holmenkollen skifestival or ) is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic.
History
It takes place in March ...
. She received the
Holmenkollen medal in 1992.
After retirement
In 2010, Välbe was elected as President of the Russian Cross-Country Ski Association. – 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
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
in Sochi. She was also manager for the Russian team during the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
in
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
.
She was elected to the FIS Council in 2021, but after she in 2022 supported the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, a number of European Ski Federations objected to her participation in the 2022 election, her nomination was publicly opposed by representatives of Sweden, Poland, and Finland, and she was removed from the position after she garnered the fewest votes.
Cross-country skiing results
All results are sourced from the
International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games
* 7 medals – (3 gold, 4 bronze)
World Championships
* 17 medals – (14 gold, 3 silver)
World Cup
Season standings
Individual podiums
*45 victories
*81 podiums
Team podiums
* 24 victories – (24 )
* 32 podiums – (30 , 2 )
Note: Until the
1999 World Championships and the
1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.
Personal life
Formerly she was married to
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
n cross-country skier
Urmas Välbe. Together they had one child, Franz. She then married Maxim Dovolnov and gave birth to Polina and Varvara. She now lives in
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally "under Moscow"), is a federal subject of Rus ...
.
Глава Федерации лыжных гонок России Елена Вяльбе, которой исполнилось 50 лет
/ref>
In popular culture
*''White Snow
''White Snow'' (russian: Белый снег, Bely sneg) is a 2020 Russian biographical sports drama film directed by Nikolay Khomeriki.
The film is based on real events that happened at the 1997 FIS Cross-Country World Cup. For the first time in ...
'' – a biographical sports drama film about Välbe.
References
External links
*
* - click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file
* - click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file
{{DEFAULTSORT:Välbe, Yelena
1968 births
Living people
People from Magadan
Cross-country skiers at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Cross-country skiers at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Cross-country skiers at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Holmenkollen medalists
Holmenkollen Ski Festival winners
Russian female cross-country skiers
Olympic gold medalists for the Unified Team
Olympic bronze medalists for the Unified Team
Olympic gold medalists for Russia
Olympic cross-country skiers of Russia
Olympic cross-country skiers of the Unified Team
Olympic medalists in cross-country skiing
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in cross-country skiing
FIS Cross-Country World Cup champions
Medalists at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Honoured Coaches of Russia
Sportspeople from Magadan Oblast