From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.
Earlier this month, the Russian Ski Federation made public that current men’s sprint team coach, Yuri Kaminsky, was poised to become the next head coach of the entire Russian National Team. With the Sochi Olympics coming up in 2014, the depth of Russia’s 100-plus athlete program, and the team’s fight to clean up its skiers and its image, much depends on the appointment.
If Kaminsky and the Federation can come to an agreement on the nature of their working relationship at a final meeting in the next few weeks, he is ready to accept the position. Speaking through Alexei Sotskov as a translator, Kaminsky told FasterSkier in a phone interview that he must be able to operate with a certain level of autonomy in the head coaching position, which despite its name is more administrator than coach.
Kaminsky became the front-runner for the job after Mati Alaver’s candidacy became tarnished by his involvement in the Andrus Veerpalu doping scandal. Russian Ski Federation President Elena Vyalbe offered Kaminsky the position while he was in New Zealand with the sprint team at the end of August. After thinking on the offer for two weeks, Kaminsky gave Vyalbe a conditional ‘yes.’
In an interview with Moscow News, Vyalbe laid out what she was looking for in a head coach. The position requires someone who is respected by the team coaches he oversees, can be objective and take responsibility for his decisions, and will to listen to and understand where the athletes are coming from, she said. With Alaver out of the picture, the only legitimate candidates in her mind were Kaminsky and Yuri Charkovsky, who held the position prior to Vancouver.
According to Sotskov, a former Nordic Combined coach for Russia and a longtime friend of Kaminsky’s, the sprint coach was hesitant in accepting the offer.
“At first he was all excited,” said Sotskov, who was at the Snow Farm with Kaminsky and his team in August. “But then he said, ‘In a way, I’m betraying my team. There’s no way I’ll be able to continue working with all these great guys who trust me, and who I’ve been working with for so long.’” If he accepts the promotion, the helm of the sprint team will likely be taken by current assistant coach Mikhail Deviatiarov, Sr., whose son, Mikhail Jr., is on the Russian team.
Kaminsky ascended to the senior sprint team coach in 2008, after building a strong reputation as one of the most successful junior coaches in Russia. According to Sotskov, Kaminsky consulted his team on whether he should accept the promotion, which would remove him from any position of working directly with athletes. The team, too, was split—half were supportive, half wanted him to stay.
“I felt bad for him,” said Sotskov. “He was torn.”
With the pressure to perform well on home turf in 2014 mounting, the decision to take the head coaching job is all the more daunting. The Russian government directly funds the National Team, so expectations for results come all the way from the president of the country, explained Sotskov.
While the head coach feels that pressure more acutely, there is no doubt that it filters down to the individual athletes. In the past, this has perhaps manifested itself in attempts to get ahead with performance enhancers. In the last five years alone, 20 Russian skiers received bans from competition for doping violations.
With Vyalbe’s ascent to President of the Russian Ski Federation in June of 2010, however, the Federation cracked down on doping—after being fined for past violations and strongly encouraged to clean up its act by the International Ski Federation (FIS), eight tainted coaches were banned from working with athletes on the national team. When FasterSkier interviewed Vyalbe in February, she expressed confidence that no skiers under her jurisdiction were cheating.
When asked about his level of faith in the federation’s anti-doping policy, Kaminsky said that coaches and athletes are clear that there will be no mercy if they are caught, and was convinced that the testing policy is in place to catch anyone cheating on the national team.
If Kaminsky accepts the position as head coach, he will be offering guidance to all senior and development teams to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals, and will be responsible for administrative decisions regarding which athletes get to compete in certain races. Because Russia has such an enormous pool of athletes, Sotskov explained, it’s often very difficult to select teams for specific races.
Beyond regular administrative duties, Kaminsky is waiting until he decides to take the job to start thinking about what initiatives he will tackle first.
Before the end of his interview, Kaminsky took a moment to express part of his inspiration as he moves forward in whatever capacity in the development of Russian skiing.
“I want you to know that I am totally impressed with the American Nordic Combined performance in Vancouver,” he said. “It is motivating me to work harder. I’m puzzled as to how such a small field of athletes could have performed so well. If you can do it with your resources, how on earth can [Russia] not achieve that success with the resources we have? I honestly want to wish the Americans even more luck; they inspire me and my work.”
Regardless of the decision he comes to in the next few weeks, Kaminsky says he is only sure of his continued involvement at the national level through the Olympics in 2014. After Sochi, he said he would reevaluate his relationship with the sport.
This summer, Andrew Nesbitt, a rising senior at Gould Academy traveled to New Zealand on a trip organized by Alexei Sotskov. Five junior skiers from around New England made the journey. Andrew sent regular email updates to family and friends in the US, providing a first-hand account through the eyes of a junior skier. Perfect conditions, hanging with the US and Canadian National Teams and an epic storm were just some of the highlights.
Thursday, July 29
We arrived hear yesterday about 12:30 PM and went skiing on Extra Blue. What a change from the hot weather that we have been having in New England. The high temperature here yesterday was 31 degrees at the Snow Farm lodge which is at about 5,000 feet.
The scenery here is like nothing else I have seen before – every time you turn around there is something beautiful. The lodge looks out over mountain ranges. All you can see are mountains covered in snow. The grooming is also great, matching Jackson as the best I have ever skied. The snow is very light and dry. I guess Extra Blue is all they have used this season, maybe a little violet too.
Snow covered mountains
The Japanese Team arrived today, and the Canadian and American teams are here, including Andy Newell, Kikkan Randall, Kris Freeman, Simi Hamilton, Morgan Arattola, and Liz Stephen and the coaches Matt Whitcomb and Chris Grover. We live on the same floor as them. The Canadian team was on the same plane as us from LA – that group includes Chandra Crawford, Alex Harvey, Ivan Babikov, Devon Kershaw and a few others, mostly men.
Friday, July 30
This morning we went for an extremely windy and foggy pre-breakfast run for about half an hour, came back, and went upstairs to breakfast. At breakfast while Justin and I were waiting for Kikkan to be done with the toaster Matt Whitcomb (USST head coach) introduced himself to us. Seems like he is a really nice guy. Right now the Canadian men are eating breakfast literally right in front of us! All of them!!
Alexei had us doing classic drills yesterday while we were watching the US team blow by us in their time trail. I also found out yesterday that members here can bring their dogs skiing. First skate session today, and a run down in town this afternoon.
Sunday, August 1
This morning we woke up to winds sustained at about 100 kilometers per hour and sleet, which changed to snow by breakfast and then rain by about 11. The locals say this was the worst they have seen all winter, something like this does not compare to anything we have in New England. Justin made it 6 minutes on the morning run I made it about 4 minutes. I think Shelby said she made it 2, the weather really blows here.
Instead of going for a ski this morning we played 10,000, (a dice game) with a good part of the US team – Kikkan, Liz, Noah and Simi. Shelby won and I was second. We beat the US Ski Team.
After beating the US Ski Team we went into Wanaka to use a fitness center and sauna. We got there as the Canadians were leaving.
We went shopping. I bought some stuff and drove back to the ski center where the wind is still blowing about 50 km per hour.
Monday, August 2
Today is our first off day, Alexei is taking us into Queenstown. We are not just living next to the US Ski Team, we are hanging out with them too. Amazingly they want to know about us!
Liz, Simi and Chris Grover are the most outgoing. Matt Whitcomb, Jack, Maddy and I had a long talk about compartment syndrome, which Freeman has had twice because he does not stretch. Corey Stock also recently had sugary for it. Whitcomb also predicted that at the Sochi Olympics Chandra and Kikkan will be on the podium.
Bluebird…
Carl, the groomer here went to Gould Academy class of 1978. He does a great job. The Americans are pretty excited about the grooming right now. The Canadians seem to be pretty excited about Monopoly, It is hilarious they get so competitive with each other. Liz, Kikkan and Chandra at one point were sharing money and Babikov said “girls should not be allowed to play Monopoly.” I think he was upset that Chandra was winning.
The clouds cleared by the end of the day yesterday and we got an awesome sunset. I think in a few minutes we are about to get a great sunrise.
Wow.
Tuesday, August 3
We went in to Queenstown on our off day yesterday after watching the US and Canadian ski teams do some sprints, which was really sweet.
Queenstown is about a 50 minute drive for us. We had lots of fun, bought cool stuff and took great pictures. This morning we classic skied with some light intervals – 7×3 at L3, our first interval session of the trip. We used some Rode Blue klister binder with Rossa and Violet on top of that. 2 hour ski this afternoon.
We have had some great sunsets and sunrises here. Pretty cool stuff. I just heard Carl, the groomer say he groomed for 19 hours after the storm. All I can say is he did a great job. It is pretty warm here but the snow on the trail is still firm and fast which is a lot of fun to ski on.
Ocean
Wednesday, August 4
Last night we played spoons. It is a card game if you don’t know. I sat next to Alex Harvey on my right and Ivan Babikov on my left. After spoons we went to play Monopoly. I have never seen anyone get more competitive in that game than Devon Kershaw. All the Canadians are pretty competitive about Monopoly but Devon more than any other.
Friday, August 6
The FIS weekend has started today with a 15km classic for men and a 10km for women. Along with the North Americans that have been here for awhile there are athletes from Russia, Korea, Japan, Venezuela and of course Australia and New Zealand.
Devon Kershaw won, his luck in Monopoly does not translate to skiing, Kris Freeman was 2nd and Ivan Babikov was third.
Justin said he started too fast, I don’t what happened in my race – whether I was dehydrated or did not do well with altitude or nervous or what, but it was not a good race for me. The basket on my pole popped off during the race and Justin Wadsworth (Canadian head coach) gave me a pole out on the trail. My wax was prefect, fast going down and great kick going up. As far as I feel about the race, first of all it is August, I did not get lapped, I did not finish last and it is still August.
Our girls felt pretty good about their races. Maddy skied with Sarah Murphy for a while. Sarah is the host nation’s only biathlete and skied at the last Olympics. I was pretty impressed.
Morgan Arritola and Liz Stephen skied together the whole race, Liz ended up winning by .4 of a second. A Japanese athlete was third.
Sprint tomorrow and 10km free on Sunday. The Americans and the Canadians will not be participating, YES! The Canadians are still playing Monopoly.
Sunday, August 8
I had one of the best days of racing possible and one of the strangest nights. It was the freestyle sprint. It worked like an Eastern Cup – you have a qualifying race and then heats. I was flying in the qualifying. I felt light, relaxed and great and I was last to qualify for the heats.
I found out who else was in my heat – me, Pavel Sotskov, Ivan Babikov and the first qualifier…..Andy Newell.
So I stepped up to the line and thought “holy shit.” I just wanted to ski relaxed and enjoy this moment. It is not often that Liz Setphen gives you tips on which lane to pick. I think it was about the time of my heat that it started snowing really hard – about 11 o’clock. Simi Hamilton won with Newell in second and Alex Harvey in third.
Maddy was the highlight of our day. She was 2nd in the B final, 6th overall. Chandra won, Liz was second and Esther Bottomley of Australia was third. Kikkan did not race because she felt sick. “Something hit me” she said, and Alexei wanted to know who. The women’s race ended at about 12:30 and at about 1 the wind started to blow.
About 3:30 Alexei sent us down to the Snow Park, which is the freestyle ski and snowboard facility about 3km down the road from where we are. Alexei said we were going to hang out with some local kids and there would be a hot tub there. The wind is sustained at 70km per hour and it is still snowing really hard. Ben Koons was in charge of us. He skis for Dartmouth and the New Zealand National Team in Vancouver. We played spoons again – the kiwis are not nearly as competitive as the Canadians and we did go in the hot tub, but by the time we got out it was dark. The wind was now blowing 90km an hour and it was still snowing hard.
This nice couple who owned the condo that the local kids were staying at were trying to drive us back, but they could not see 2 meters in front of them. So we went back to the lodge and ate diner, and were told that some one who worked at the Farm was coming to get us.
We called and found out that it was not going to happen. We were set up in a ski dorm in the same building as the restaurant that we ate in. We had some place to stay! We woke up this morning and it was still snowing – not as hard and the wind was not blowing. We made it back to the Farm in time for breakfast.
We got stuck in a blizzard 3km from where we wanted to be because Alexei told us there was going to be a hot tub. WTF? I think the 10km skate is being held at 12 local time but I am not sure what Carl is doing with the grooming.
Storm
Monday, August 9
Yesterday was another good race despite the snow conditions – so new and soft. It was a freestyle race and it was just hard to get a solid kick off on the snow. There was this one long and steep hill on the course that was in awful shape and it just plain hurt. Again I felt relaxed, but because of all the new snow Carl was only able to get a 2km loop together, so we did it 5 times, which in a way was good because every time you come through the stadium I would hear Liz and Matt Whitcomb cheering for ME!
I ended up 3 seconds behind Justin. I was more happy with the fact the Matt congratulated me after the race. I kept trying to think if that really just happened. One of the US ski team coaches raced yesterday. It was fun to see him having a good time. Maddy and Molly also raced well. Shelby was not happy with her race but Alexei changed her mood pretty quickly.
We went to Anna Hogg’s house for dinner. Anna went to Kimble Union with Molly her freshman year. It was a great meal – pasta, garlic bread and an awesome trifle.
Today we are going to the ocean, but snow looks prefect. However the US Ski team leaves today which is too bad because they have been so much fun to watch and hang out with.
Wednesday, August 11
This is my final update from New Zealand.
We just had our last ski here at the Snow Farm. The snow is beautiful, dry, and the skiing is really great, but it is supposed to rain again on Thursday. We have all had an amazing time.
I have been on snow for 10 months this year, If we get on snow in September that would be 11, Jeremy is trying hard. I missed skiing in May by 2 days and during a school Tuckerman’s trip I had other things to do.
I think the coolest part was hanging out with the national team and realizing that they too are real people, and racing a sprint against Andy Newell – that was pretty cool too. I think I am ready to come home. Tomorrow is also Shelby’s birthday.
Mom, pick me up at exit 11 for the VA hospital off I89 in White River Junction. There is a McDonalds, and Jack says that is the best place to meet. I’ll call you when we get close.
Julia Chepalova is one of seven Russian athletes suspended by FIS in the last year. On Thursday, FIS issued a formal request for her father, Anatoly Chepalov, to be removed from his coaching position. Photo: Ivan Isaev, Russian Ski Magazine
After seven Russian athletes were suspended in the past year for doping violations, the International Ski Federation (FIS) has voted to sanction the country’s national ski association, despite arguments that the program has already cleaned up its act.
“The onus is on them to demonstrate their commitment to anti-doping,” FIS Secretary General Sarah Lewis wrote in an e-mail.
At its council meetings in Turkey on Thursday, FIS levied a $154,000 fine against the Russian Ski Association (RSA), and also issued a “strong recommendation” that the association install a new group of coaches and officials with no links to the doping scandals of the past few years.
FIS also made a specific, formal request for the removal of several officials, including Anatoly Chepalov–the coach and father of suspended former Olympic champion Julia Chepalova–as well as the removal of the coaches and “medical personnel” of Natalia Matveeva, Eugeni Dementiev, and Nina Rysina, who all tested positive for EPO in the winter of 2008-2009.
According to Lewis, the request for the removal of Chepalov and the other coaches is not binding.
But in a press release, FIS said that Russia will also be required to issue a report on the progress of its anti-doping work no later than November 1, or face further sanctions. Additional measures could include more fines, revocation of start rights for Russians at FIS races, cancellation of events in the country, or even suspension of the country’s FIS membership.
If changes are to occur in the RSA, they will likely come at the behest of the new leadership of the country’s Olympic Committee, said Andrey Kondrashov, a Russian sports commentator, in an interview.
Anatoly Chepalov, one of the coaches that FIS requested to be removed. Photo: Ivan Isaev, Russian Ski Magazine
While the RSA is an independent organization, Kondrashov said that the opinion of the Russian Olympic Committee still carries clout, given the country’s respect for “tradition.” Thus far, Alexander Zhukov, the Olympic committee’s new chairman, has taken a strong public stance against doping, saying that old attitudes should be stamped out “with scorching steel.”
However, in an Agence-France Press report on Friday, Russian Sport Minister Vitaly Mutko argued that the country had already made the necessary changes to prevent doping.
“We already assumed the measures for solving all these problems. We have changed the medical staff of both federations and seriously strengthened the coaching personnel,” he said.
No Russians were caught at the Olympics, and in its press release, FIS did acknowledge that the RSA has “expressed its sincerest remorse for the situation and informed FIS about the serious work that has been initiated at the very highest level in Russia.”
But FIS said that it still imposed the sanctions for three reasons: as a “retrospective measure, to reflect the [organization’s] strong disapproval of the situation”; to encourage the RSA to bring about “necessary, immediate” changes within the organization; and to send a message to Russia, and the world, that FIS is serious about its anti-doping work.
Alexei Sotskov, a former head coach of the Russian nordic combined team now living and working in the U.S., agreed that attitudes within the Russian ski team had already shifted.
Sotskov worked as a coach at the 2010 Olympics for the New Zealand team, and after his conversations at the Games with Russian officials—including national team sprint coach Yuri Kaminsky—Sotskov said he felt that the team was clean.
“Especially with Sochi coming up, they understand that everybody’s watching them, so they don’t want to be caught,” he said. “To say that the system is still supporting this, I think it’s a false statement—especially after talking with Kaminsky and a couple other guys.”
“Kaminsky is a smart guy, and he was clearly saying that ‘we can’t cheat—it’s not worth it for us,’” Sotskov said.
Informed of the sanctions, American athlete Kris Freeman, an outspoken critic of the Russian program, said that he welcomed the steps taken by FIS.
“It does seem like they are taking it seriously,” he said. “I didn’t really know what FIS was going to do. In the past, they’ve been too passive, but that sounds like a pretty appropriate sanction.”
FIS also officially announced Thursday the two-year suspension of Kornelia Marek, the Polish skier who was caught using EPO at the 2010 Olympic Games. Marek has 21 days to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS); otherwise, she will be banned until March 16, 2012.
![Yury Kaminsky](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/09/Screen-shot-2011-09-21-at-2.06.11-PM.png" "Screen shot 2011-09-21 at 2.06.11 PM")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/09/DSCN4086.jpg" "New Zealand - Snow Covered Mountains")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/09/DSCN4217.jpg" "New Zealand - Andrew Nesbitt")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/09/DSCN3855.jpg" "New Zealand sunset")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/09/DSCN4176.jpg" "New Zeland")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/09/DSCN4041.jpg" "New Zealand")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/09/DSCN3925.jpg" "New Zealand")
