Yelena Välbe

Yelena Valeryevna Välbe (Russian: Елена Валерьевна Вяльбе, née Trubitsyna; born 20 April 1968) is a Russian former cross-country skier. She won a record 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.

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)
Height164 cm (5 ft 5 in)[1]
Spouse(s)Urmas Välbe (divorced in 2005)
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
1994 Lillehammer4 × 5 km relay
1998 Nagano4 × 5 km relay
Representing  Unified Team
1992 Albertville4 × 5 km relay
1992 Albertville5 km classical
1992 Albertville15 km classical
1992 Albertville5 km + 10 km
combined pursuit
1992 Albertville30 km freestyle
World Championships
Representing  Russia
1993 Falun15 km classical
1993 Falun4 × 5 km relay
1995 Thunder Bay30 km freestyle
1995 Thunder Bay4 × 5 km relay
1997 Trondheim5 km classical
1997 Trondheim5 km + 10 km
combined pursuit
1997 Trondheim15 km freestyle
1997 Trondheim30 km classical
1997 Trondheim4 × 5 km relay
1995 Thunder Bay15 km classical
Representing  Soviet Union
1989 Lahti10 km freestyle
1989 Lahti30 km freestyle
1991 Val di Fiemme10 km freestyle
1991 Val di Fiemme15 km classical
1991 Val di Fiemme4 × 5 km relay
1989 Lahti4 × 5 km relay
1991 Val di Fiemme30 km freestyle
Junior World Championships
Representing  Soviet Union
1987 Asiago15 km freestyle
1987 Asiago3 × 5 km relay
1986 Lake Placid5 km classical
1986 Lake Placid3 × 5 km relay
1987 Asiago5 km classical
1986 Lake Placid15 km freestyle

In 2004, she lost when she ran for president of the Russian Ski Racing Federation. Välbe was later elected President of the Russian Cross-Country Ski Association and has been in that position since 2010, and manager of the Russian National Cross-Country Team since 2012.

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 FIS Council after garnering the fewest votes of 23 candidates.[2] 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 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).[3] 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).[4]

After retirement

In 2004, she lost when she ran for president of the Russian Ski Racing Federation.[1] In 2010, Välbe was elected as President of the Russian Cross-Country Ski Association.[5] 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.[6]

Välbe was elected to the FIS Council in 2021, but after she supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022,[7] 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 of all 23 candidates.[2][8][9]

Political career

Välbe was a member of the political council of Vladimir Putin's United Russia party in the State Duma from the regional branch, and ran in the 2021 Russian legislative election on the United Russia party list.[10] 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. She eventually withdrew her candidacy.[11]

In 2023, Välbe joined the PutinTeam, whose members supported Vladimir Putin's nomination for the 2024 Russian presidential election.[12]

Views

In 2022, Välbe supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying that "we are not at war with Ukraine and no one attacked it."[13][14]

In January 2023, sports commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt of Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) said that he believes Välbe must now be fired from all sport-related offices going forward. He said: "It is completely reprehensible that a cross-country president makes such statements [supporting the invasion of Ukraine]. Now she is choosing a confrontational line that either shows her internal position is weakened, or she is confident that Russia will be brought back faster than many thought."[15]

In March 2023, Välbe said the following about European politics and the United States.[16]

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.

In November 2023, she said she supported Putin's policies and Russia's war against Ukraine, and was proud that her younger brother had volunteered to fight in the war.[7] In December 2023, she said of Putin: "I love our president madly."[17]

Personal life

Välbe is estranged from her father, Valery Ivanovich Trubitsyn.[18][1] Her father is Ukrainian-born, and lives in Ukraine.[18][7]

Explaining her character, she said that as a child, she and her mother Galina Grigorievna Synkova lived with her maternal grandparents.[1] Her maternal grandfather told her: "Don't wait to be hit, hit you in the face first."[1]

Formerly she was married to Estonian cross-country skier Urmas Välbe. Together they had one child the same year they married, Franz, with whom she spent a month and a half in Ukraine in 1988.[1][10] They separated the year after they married, and divorced in 2005.[1][18] She later gave birth to Polina and Varvara, and since her divorce moved to and now lives in the Istra district in Moscow Oblast.[1]

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[19]

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

Season standings

 Season   Age 
Overall Long Distance Sprint
19871823
198920
199021
199122
199223
199324
199425
199526
199627
199728
19982912518

Individual podiums

  • 45 victories
  • 81 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1 1988–89 10 December 1988 La Féclaz, France5 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
214 December 1988 Campra, Switzerland15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
317 December 1988 Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
47 January 1989 Kavgolovo, Soviet Union15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
519 February 1989 Lahti, Finland10 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]1st
625 February 198930 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]1st
711 March 1989 Falun, Sweden15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
8 1989–90 10 December 1989 Soldier Hollow, United States15 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
918 February 1990 Pontresina, Switzerland15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
1020 February 1990 Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
112 March 1990 Lahti, Finland5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
127 March 1990 Sollefteå, Sweden30 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
13 1990–91 8 December 1990 Tauplitzalm, Austria10 km + 15 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup2nd
1415 December 1990 Davos, Switzerland15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
1515 December 1990 Les Saisies, France5 km + 10 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup1st
165 January 1991 Minsk, Soviet Union30 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
178 February 1991 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 1991 Lahti, Finland15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
219 March 1991 Falun, Sweden15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
2216 March 1991 Oslo, Norway5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
231991–927 December 1991 Silver Star, Canada5 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
248 December 199110 km Pursuit CWorld Cup2nd
2514 December 1991 Thunder Bay, Canada5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
264 January 1992 Kavgolovo, Russia15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
279 February 1992 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 1992 Vang, Norway15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
32 1992–93 12 December 1992 Ramsau, Austria5 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
3318 December 1992 Val di Fiemme, Italy15 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
343 January 1993 Kavgolovo, Russia30 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
359 January 1993 Ulrichen, Switzerland10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
3616 January 1993 Cogne, Italy10 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
3719 February 1993 Falun, Sweden15 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
3810 March 1993 Lillehammer, Norway10 km Pursuit FWorld Cup3rd
3919 March 1993 Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
401993–9411 December 1993 Santa Caterina, Italy5 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
4118 December 1993 Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
4221 December 1993 Toblach, Italy15 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
438 January 1994 Kavgolovo, Russia10 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
4412 March 1994 Falun, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
451994–9527 November 1994 Kiruna, Sweden5 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
4614 December 1994 Tauplitzalm, Austria10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
4717 December 1994 Sappada, Italy15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
4820 December 19945 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
497 January 1995 Östersund, Sweden30 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
5014 January 1995 Nové Město, Czech Republic15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
514 February 1995 Falun, Sweden10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
525 February 199510 km Pursuit FWorld Cup1st
5310 March 1995 Thunder Bay, Canada5 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]2nd
5418 March 199530 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]1st
5525 March 1995 Sapporo, Japan15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
56 1995–96 25 November 1995 Vuokatti, Finland5 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
5729 November 1995 Gällivare, Sweden10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
589 December 1995 Davos, Switzerland5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
5910 December 199510 km Pursuit CWorld Cup2nd
6013 December 1995 Brusson, Italy10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
619 January 1996 Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia30 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
6213 January 1996 Nové Město, Czech Republic10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
632 February 1996 Seefeld, Austria5 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
644 February 1996 Reit im Winkl, Germany1.0 km Sprint FWorld Cup1st
6525 February 1996 Trondheim, Norway10 km Pursuit FWorld Cup2nd
6610 March 1996 Falun, Sweden15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
671996–9723 November 1996 Kiruna, Sweden5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
687 December 1996 Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
6914 December 1996 Brusson, Italy15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
705 January 1997 Kavgolovo, Russia15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
7111 January 1997 Hakuba, Japan5 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
7212 January 199710 km Pursuit FWorld Cup3rd
7318 January 1997 Lahti, Finland15 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
7421 February 1997 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 1997 Falun, Sweden5 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
7911 March 1997 Sunne, Sweden1.0 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
8015 March 1997 Oslo, Norway30 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
811997–9820 December 1997 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 1987 Lahti, Finland4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stOrdina / Lazutina / Reztsova
2 1988–89 23 February 1989 Lahti, Finland4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]2ndShamshurina / Smetanina / Tikhonova
312 March 1989 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndLazutina / Smetanina / Tikhonova
41989–9011 March 1990 Örnsköldsvik, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stYegorova / Lazutina / Tikhonova
51990–9115 February 1991 Val di Fiemme, Italy4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]1stYegorova / Smetanina / Tikhonova
610 March 1991 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup1stNageykina / Yegorova / Tikhonova
715 March 1991 Oslo, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndNageykina / Smetanina/ Tikhonova
81991–9218 February 1992 Albertville, France4 × 5 km Relay C/FOlympic Games[1]1stSmetanina/ Lazutina / Yegorova
98 March 1992 Funäsdalen, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndLazutina / Nageykina/ Yegorova
101992–9326 February 1993 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]1stLazutina / Gavrylyuk / Yegorova
111993–9422 February 1994 Lillehammer, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FOlympic Games[1]1stLazutina / Gavrylyuk / Yegorova
124 March 1994 Lahti, Finland4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndNageykina / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
1313 March 1994 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay FWorld Cup1stNageykina / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
141994–9515 January 1995 Nové Město, Czech Republic4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup1stDanilova /Gavrylyuk /Lazutina
1529 January 1995 Lahti, Finland4 × 5 km Relay FWorld Cup1stZavyalova / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
167 February 1995 Hamar, Norway4 × 3 km Relay FWorld Cup1stDanilova / Gavrylyuk /Lazutina
1712 February 1995 Oslo, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stDanilova / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
1817 March 1995 Thunder Bay, Canada4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]1stDanilova / Lazutina /Gavrylyuk
1926 March 1995 Sapporo, Japan4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stGavrylyuk / Lazutina / Martynova
201995–9617 December 1995 Santa Caterina, Italy4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup1stLazutina / Gavrylyuk /Yegorova
2114 January 1996 Nové Město, Czech Republic4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup1stNageykina / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
222 February 1996 Seefeld, Austria6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup3rdZavyalova
2310 March 1996 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stGavrylyuk / Lazutina / Yegorova
241996–9724 November 1996 Kiruna, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup1stGavrylyuk/Lazutina/ Yegorova
258 December 1996 Davos, Switzerland4 × 5 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndGavrylyuk / Lazutina / Yegorova
2615 December 1996 Brusson, Italy4 × 5 km Relay FWorld Cup1stGavrylyuk / Danilova / Yegorova
2719 January 1997 Lahti, Finland8 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup2ndGavrylyuk
2828 February 1997 Trondheim, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]1stDanilova/ Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
299 March 1997 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stDanilova /Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
3016 March 1997 Oslo, Norway4 × 5 km Relay FWorld Cup1stDanilova /Gavrylyuk / Nageykina
311997–987 December 1997 Santa Caterina, Italy4 × 5 km Relay FWorld Cup1stChepalova / Lazutina/ Danilova
3214 December 1997 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.

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

References

  1. "Serviceman of the Russian national team Urmas Vyalbe: I'm not going to Russia for money". dynamotickets.ru.
  2. Mike Rowbottom (May 29, 2022). "Bumpy course for new FIS President Eliasch as the sport's heartlands revolt". Inside the Games.
  3. "VM i Trondheim i 1997" (in Norwegian). Ski-VM 2011 AS. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  4. Mattias Karen (February 27, 2015). "La revanche des Norvégiennes" [Norwegian Revenge]. Le Devoir (in French). Associated Press. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  5. "Presidential elections in Norway, Russia", fis-ski.com, Retrieved February 24, 2013 Archived October 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  6. 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.
  7. "Former Olympic cross-country skiing champion Välbe 'proud her brother went to war in Ukraine'". Yahoo News. November 9, 2023.
  8. Marcus Lindqvist (September 30, 2022). "Jelena Välbe efter Putins mobilisering: "uteslutet att Ryssland får delta i vinter"". hbl.fi.
  9. ""Skandal!" Ärger um russische Langlaufchefin nach FIS-Wahl". sport.de. May 27, 2022.
  10. "Olympic champion from Russia admires what Russia has done to Mariupol as fantastic". Obozrevatel. September 26, 2023.
  11. "Nearly a fifth of Russia's new State Duma deputies owe their jobs to secondhand mandates - REM". russian-election-monitor.org. October 18, 2021.
  12. "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.
  13. "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.
  14. "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.
  15. Christian Ipsen (February 9, 2022). "Én kommentar har fået russisk skipræsident til at boykotte norsk presse - TV 2". sport.tv2.dk.
  16. Елена Вяльбе (March 28, 2023). "Босс российских лыж Елена Вяльбе высказалась о международной политике США: "Миром правит только США, чего уж скрывать"". Sports.ru.
  17. OleksandrChekanov (December 27, 2023). ""If not for Putin, there will be no people left on earth": Russian Olympic champion epically bent over before the dictator". Obozrevatel.
  18. "Former Olympic cross-country skiing champion Välbe 'proud her brother went to war in Ukraine'". english.nv.ua. November 9, 2023.
  19. "VAELBE TRUBITSINA Elena". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
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