The Russian Olympic speed skating team in Sochi will have to face, first of all, the recognized favorites from the Netherlands, who traditionally occupied leading positions in this sport. Skaters from South Korea, who have recently made a phenomenal breakthrough, and athletes from some other countries, will also likely form the fiercest competition in the fight for medals for our compatriots. But the more valuable medals will be for Russians if they can be won. With whom of the athletes are our hopes in speed skating connected?
Who will enter the Russian national team
The final composition of the national team has not yet been formed, but with a very high degree of probability, it can be assumed that it will include the gold medalists of the 2013 World Cup Denis Yuskov and Ivan Skobrev. They can be accompanied by the following athletes: 11-time Russian champion Dmitry Lobkov, for whom this Olympics will be the fourth in a row, Artem Kuznetsov, Evgeny Lalenkov, Alexander Rumyantsev. Perhaps this list will be replenished with other names, since the national team coaches have several strong candidates in reserve.
The following girls can join the women's Olympic speed skating team: Ekaterina Lobysheva, Ekaterina Shikhova, Yulia Skokova, Olga Fatkulina, Olga Graf, Evgenia Dmitrieva, Nadezhda Aseeva. And our team is headed by a coaching staff consisting of Konstantin Poltavets, Maurizio Marchetto, Andrey Savelyev and Pavel Abratkevich.
What are the chances of the Russian team in Sochi at the Olympics
As mentioned above, the competition is likely to be fierce. Nevertheless, there is every reason to count on the successful performance of our athletes. Indeed, during the last world championship, the Russians won 5 medals - 2 gold and 3 bronze, taking the honorable third place in the team event. Only the same Dutch and Koreans were ahead. By the way, the envoys of South Korea also won 5 medals, ahead of the Russians only thanks to awards of a higher standard.
But it is even more important that this world championship was held in Sochi, and even on the very ice where the Olympians will compete in the future. According to Dmitry Lobkov, the factor of native walls literally charged him with energy and gave him additional strength. Let's hope that this will help our athletes in February next year. And they are guaranteed the stormy support of the audience.
