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Yelena Välbe
Yelena Välbe in 2021 - 01 (cropped).jpg
Yelena Välbe in 2021
Country  Russia
Full name Yelena Valeryevna Välbe
Born (1968-04-20) 20 April 1968 (age 56)
Magadan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia)
Height 164 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Spouse(s) Urmas Välbe (divorced in 2005)
Ski club CSKA Moscow
World Cup career
Seasons 11– (1987, 1989–1998)
Individual wins 45
Team wins 24
Indiv. podiums 81
Team podiums 32
Indiv. starts 117
Team starts 33
Overall titles 5 – (1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997)
Discipline titles 1 – (1 LD: 1997)
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Olympic Games
Representing  Russia
Gold 1994 Lillehammer 4 × 5 km relay
Gold 1998 Nagano 4 × 5 km relay
Representing Olympic flag.svg Unified Team
Gold 1992 Albertville 4 × 5 km relay
Bronze 1992 Albertville 5 km classical
Bronze 1992 Albertville 15 km classical
Bronze 1992 Albertville 5 km + 10 km
combined pursuit
Bronze 1992 Albertville 30 km freestyle
World Championships
Representing  Russia
Gold 1993 Falun 15 km classical
Gold 1993 Falun 4 × 5 km relay
Gold 1995 Thunder Bay 30 km freestyle
Gold 1995 Thunder Bay 4 × 5 km relay
Gold 1997 Trondheim 5 km classical
Gold 1997 Trondheim 5 km + 10 km
combined pursuit
Gold 1997 Trondheim 15 km freestyle
Gold 1997 Trondheim 30 km classical
Gold 1997 Trondheim 4 × 5 km relay
Silver 1995 Thunder Bay 15 km classical
Representing  Soviet Union
Gold 1989 Lahti 10 km freestyle
Gold 1989 Lahti 30 km freestyle
Gold 1991 Val di Fiemme 10 km freestyle
Gold 1991 Val di Fiemme 15 km classical
Gold 1991 Val di Fiemme 4 × 5 km relay
Silver 1989 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay
Silver 1991 Val di Fiemme 30 km freestyle
Junior World Championships
Representing  Soviet Union
Gold 1987 Asiago 15 km freestyle
Gold 1987 Asiago 3 × 5 km relay
Silver 1986 Lake Placid 5 km classical
Silver 1986 Lake Placid 3 × 5 km relay
Silver 1987 Asiago 5 km classical
Bronze 1986 Lake Placid 15 km freestyle

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.

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. 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). 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).

After retirement

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

Välbe 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 position after garnering the fewest votes of all 23 candidates.

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. 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.

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

Views

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

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."

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

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. In December 2023, she said of Putin: "I love our president madly."

Personal life

Välbe is estranged from her father, Valery Ivanovich Trubitsyn. Her father is Ukrainian-born, and lives in Ukraine.

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

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. They separated the year after they married, and divorced in 2005.

Olympic Games

  • 7 medals – (3 gold, 4 bronze)
 Year   Age   5 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
1992 23 Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Gold
1994 25 6 6 Gold
1998 29 17 5 Gold

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 
1989 20 N/A 6 Gold N/A Gold Silver
1991 22 N/A Gold Gold Silver Gold
1993 24 4 N/A N/A Gold 6 19 Gold
1995 26 4 N/A N/A Silver 12 Gold Gold
1997 28 Gold N/A N/A Gold Gold Gold Gold

World Cup

Season standings

 Season   Age 
Overall Long Distance Sprint
1987 18 23 N/A N/A
1989 20 1 N/A N/A
1990 21 2 N/A N/A
1991 22 1 N/A N/A
1992 23 1 N/A N/A
1993 24 2 N/A N/A
1994 25 3 N/A N/A
1995 26 1 N/A N/A
1996 27 2 N/A N/A
1997 28 1 1 2
1998 29 12 5 18

Individual podiums

  • 45 victories
  • 81 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1  1988–89  10 December 1988 France La Féclaz, France 5 km Individual F World Cup 3rd
2 14 December 1988 Switzerland Campra, Switzerland 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st
3 17 December 1988 Switzerland Davos, Switzerland 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
4 7 January 1989 Soviet Union Kavgolovo, Soviet Union 15 km Individual C World Cup 1st
5 19 February 1989 Finland Lahti, Finland 10 km Individual F World Championships 1st
6 25 February 1989 30 km Individual F World Championships 1st
7 11 March 1989 Sweden Falun, Sweden 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st
8  1989–90  10 December 1989 United States Soldier Hollow, United States 15 km Individual F World Cup 3rd
9 18 February 1990 Switzerland Pontresina, Switzerland 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
10 20 February 1990 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 10 km Individual F World Cup 1st
11 2 March 1990 Finland Lahti, Finland 5 km Individual F World Cup 1st
12 7 March 1990 Sweden Sollefteå, Sweden 30 km Individual F World Cup 3rd
13  1990–91  8 December 1990 Austria Tauplitzalm, Austria 10 km + 15 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd
14 15 December 1990 Switzerland Davos, Switzerland 15 km Individual C World Cup 1st
15 15 December 1990 France Les Saisies, France 5 km + 10 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 1st
16 5 January 1991 Soviet Union Minsk, Soviet Union 30 km Individual C World Cup 1st
17 8 February 1991 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 15 km Individual C World Championships 1st
18 10 February 1991 10 km Individual F World Championships 1st
19 16 February 1991 30 km Individual F World Championships 2nd
20 2 March 1991 Finland Lahti, Finland 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st
21 9 March 1991 Sweden Falun, Sweden 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st
22 16 March 1991 Norway Oslo, Norway 5 km Individual F World Cup 1st
23 1991–92 7 December 1991 Canada Silver Star, Canada 5 km Individual C World Cup 1st
24 8 December 1991 10 km Pursuit C World Cup 2nd
25 14 December 1991 Canada Thunder Bay, Canada 5 km Individual F World Cup 1st
26 4 January 1992 Russia Kavgolovo, Russia 15 km Individual C World Cup 1st
27 9 February 1992 France Albertville, France 15 km Individual C Olympic Games 3rd
28 13 February 1992 5 km Individual C Olympic Games 3rd
29 15 February 1992 10 km Pursuit F Olympic Games 3rd
30 21 February 1992 10 km Pursuit F Olympic Games 3rd
31 14 March 1992 Norway Vang, Norway 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st
32  1992–93  12 December 1992 Austria Ramsau, Austria 5 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
33 18 December 1992 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 15 km Individual F World Cup 3rd
34 3 January 1993 Russia Kavgolovo, Russia 30 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
35 9 January 1993 Switzerland Ulrichen, Switzerland 10 km Individual C World Cup 1st
36 16 January 1993 Italy Cogne, Italy 10 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
37 19 February 1993 Sweden Falun, Sweden 15 km Individual C World Championships 1st
38 10 March 1993 Norway Lillehammer, Norway 10 km Pursuit F World Cup 3rd
39 19 March 1993 Slovakia Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia 10 km Individual C World Cup 1st
40 1993–94 11 December 1993 Italy Santa Caterina, Italy 5 km Individual C World Cup 1st
41 18 December 1993 Switzerland Davos, Switzerland 10 km Individual F World Cup 1st
42 21 December 1993 Italy Toblach, Italy 15 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
43 8 January 1994 Russia Kavgolovo, Russia 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
44 12 March 1994 Sweden Falun, Sweden 10 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
45 1994–95 27 November 1994 Sweden Kiruna, Sweden 5 km Individual C World Cup 1st
46 14 December 1994 Austria Tauplitzalm, Austria 10 km Individual C World Cup 1st
47 17 December 1994 Italy Sappada, Italy 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st
48 20 December 1994 5 km Individual F World Cup 1st
49 7 January 1995 Sweden Östersund, Sweden 30 km Individual F World Cup 1st
50 14 January 1995 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 15 km Individual C World Cup 1st
51 4 February 1995 Sweden Falun, Sweden 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
52 5 February 1995 10 km Pursuit F World Cup 1st
53 10 March 1995 Canada Thunder Bay, Canada 5 km Individual C World Championships 2nd
54 18 March 1995 30 km Individual F World Championships 1st
55 25 March 1995 Japan Sapporo, Japan 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st
56  1995–96  25 November 1995 Finland Vuokatti, Finland 5 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
57 29 November 1995 Sweden Gällivare, Sweden 10 km Individual F World Cup 3rd
58 9 December 1995 Switzerland Davos, Switzerland 5 km Individual F World Cup 1st
59 10 December 1995 10 km Pursuit C World Cup 2nd
60 13 December 1995 Italy Brusson, Italy 10 km Individual F World Cup 1st
61 9 January 1996 Slovakia Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia 30 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
62 13 January 1996 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km Individual C World Cup 1st
63 2 February 1996 Austria Seefeld, Austria 5 km Individual F World Cup 3rd
64 4 February 1996 Germany Reit im Winkl, Germany 1.0 km Sprint F World Cup 1st
65 25 February 1996 Norway Trondheim, Norway 10 km Pursuit F World Cup 2nd
66 10 March 1996 Sweden Falun, Sweden 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
67 1996–97 23 November 1996 Sweden Kiruna, Sweden 5 km Individual F World Cup 1st
68 7 December 1996 Switzerland Davos, Switzerland 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
69 14 December 1996 Italy Brusson, Italy 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
70 5 January 1997 Russia Kavgolovo, Russia 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st
71 11 January 1997 Japan Hakuba, Japan 5 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
72 12 January 1997 10 km Pursuit F World Cup 3rd
73 18 January 1997 Finland Lahti, Finland 15 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
74 21 February 1997 Norway Trondheim, Norway 15 km Individual F World Championships 1st
75 23 February 1997 5 km Individual C World Championships 1st
76 24 February 1997 10 km Pursuit F World Championships 1st
77 1 March 1997 30 km Individual C World Championships 1st
78 8 March 1997 Sweden Falun, Sweden 5 km Individual F World Cup 1st
79 11 March 1997 Sweden Sunne, Sweden 1.0 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd
80 15 March 1997 Norway Oslo, Norway 30 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
81 1997–98 20 December 1997 Switzerland Davos, Switzerland 15 km Individual C World Cup 1st

Team podiums

  • 24 victories – (24 RL)
  • 32 podiums – (30 RL, 2 TS)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)
1 1986–87 1 March 1987 Finland Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Ordina / Lazutina / Reztsova
2  1988–89  23 February 1989 Finland Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships 2nd Shamshurina / Smetanina / Tikhonova
3 12 March 1989 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Lazutina / Smetanina / Tikhonova
4 1989–90 11 March 1990 Sweden Örnsköldsvik, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Yegorova / Lazutina / Tikhonova
5 1990–91 15 February 1991 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships 1st Yegorova / Smetanina / Tikhonova
6 10 March 1991 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 1st Nageykina / Yegorova / Tikhonova
7 15 March 1991 Norway Oslo, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Nageykina / Smetanina/ Tikhonova
8 1991–92 18 February 1992 France Albertville, France 4 × 5 km Relay C/F Olympic Games 1st Smetanina/ Lazutina / Yegorova
9 8 March 1992 Sweden Funäsdalen, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Lazutina / Nageykina/ Yegorova
10 1992–93 26 February 1993 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships 1st Lazutina / Gavrylyuk / Yegorova
11 1993–94 22 February 1994 Norway Lillehammer, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F Olympic Games 1st Lazutina / Gavrylyuk / Yegorova
12 4 March 1994 Finland Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Nageykina / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
13 13 March 1994 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 1st Nageykina / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
14 1994–95 15 January 1995 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 1st Danilova /Gavrylyuk /Lazutina
15 29 January 1995 Finland Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 1st Zavyalova / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
16 7 February 1995 Norway Hamar, Norway 4 × 3 km Relay F World Cup 1st Danilova / Gavrylyuk /Lazutina
17 12 February 1995 Norway Oslo, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Danilova / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
18 17 March 1995 Canada Thunder Bay, Canada 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships 1st Danilova / Lazutina /Gavrylyuk
19 26 March 1995 Japan Sapporo, Japan 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Gavrylyuk / Lazutina / Martynova
20 1995–96 17 December 1995 Italy Santa Caterina, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 1st Lazutina / Gavrylyuk /Yegorova
21 14 January 1996 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 1st Nageykina / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
22 2 February 1996 Austria Seefeld, Austria 6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 3rd Zavyalova
23 10 March 1996 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Gavrylyuk / Lazutina / Yegorova
24 1996–97 24 November 1996 Sweden Kiruna, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 1st Gavrylyuk/Lazutina/ Yegorova
25 8 December 1996 Switzerland Davos, Switzerland 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Gavrylyuk / Lazutina / Yegorova
26 15 December 1996 Italy Brusson, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 1st Gavrylyuk / Danilova / Yegorova
27 19 January 1997 Finland Lahti, Finland 8 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 2nd Gavrylyuk
28 28 February 1997 Norway Trondheim, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships 1st Danilova/ Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
29 9 March 1997 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Danilova /Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
30 16 March 1997 Norway Oslo, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 1st Danilova /Gavrylyuk / Nageykina
31 1997–98 7 December 1997 Italy Santa Caterina, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 1st Chepalova / Lazutina/ Danilova
32 14 December 1997 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 1st Nageykina / Lazutina / Danilova

Note: Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

See also

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