Yelena Välbe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yelena Välbe
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  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). At the 1992 Winter Olympics, she entered in every competition in cross-country skiing and medaled in all of them.

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."

In September 2024, she said that ‘if Russia dropped a bomb in London, Russians would be allowed to attend the Olympics’.

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)

World Championships

• 17 medals – (14 gold, 3 silver)

World Cup

Season standings

Season	Age
		Overall	Long Distance	Sprint
1987	18	23	N/A	N/A
1989	20	01	N/A	N/A
1990	21	02	N/A	N/A
1991	22	01	N/A	N/A
1992	23	01	N/A	N/A
1993	24	02	N/A	N/A
1994	25	03	N/A	N/A
1995	26	01	N/A	N/A
1996	27	02	N/A	N/A
1997	28	01	01	02
1998	29	12	5	18

Individual podiums

• 45 victories
• 81 podiums

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place
1	1988–89	10 December 1988	La Féclaz, France	5 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
2		14 December 1988	Campra, Switzerland	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
3		17 December 1988	Davos, Switzerland	10 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
4		7 January 1989	Kavgolovo, Soviet Union	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
5		19 February 1989	Lahti, Finland	10 km Individual F	World Championships	1st
6		25 February 1989		30 km Individual F	World Championships	1st
7		11 March 1989	Falun, Sweden	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
8	1989–90	10 December 1989	Soldier Hollow, United States	15 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
9		18 February 1990	Pontresina, Switzerland	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
10		20 February 1990	Val di Fiemme, Italy	10 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
11		2 March 1990	Lahti, Finland	5 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
12		7 March 1990	Sollefteå, Sweden	30 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
13	1990–91	8 December 1990	Tauplitzalm, Austria	10 km + 15 km Pursuit C/F	World Cup	2nd
14		15 December 1990	Davos, Switzerland	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
15		15 December 1990	Les Saisies, France	5 km + 10 km Pursuit C/F	World Cup	1st
16		5 January 1991	Minsk, Soviet Union	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
17		8 February 1991	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	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
21		9 March 1991	Falun, Sweden	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
22		16 March 1991	Oslo, Norway	5 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
23	1991–92	7 December 1991	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	Thunder Bay, Canada	5 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
26		4 January 1992	Kavgolovo, Russia	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
27		9 February 1992	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	Vang, Norway	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
32	1992–93	12 December 1992	Ramsau, Austria	5 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
33		18 December 1992	Val di Fiemme, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
34		3 January 1993	Kavgolovo, Russia	30 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
35		9 January 1993	Ulrichen, Switzerland	10 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
36		16 January 1993	Cogne, Italy	10 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
37		19 February 1993	Falun, Sweden	15 km Individual C	World Championships	1st
38		10 March 1993	Lillehammer, Norway	10 km Pursuit F	World Cup	3rd
39		19 March 1993	Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia	10 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
40	1993–94	11 December 1993	Santa Caterina, Italy	5 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
41		18 December 1993	Davos, Switzerland	10 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
42		21 December 1993	Toblach, Italy	15 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
43		8 January 1994	Kavgolovo, Russia	10 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
44		12 March 1994	Falun, Sweden	10 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
45	1994–95	27 November 1994	Kiruna, Sweden	5 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
46		14 December 1994	Tauplitzalm, Austria	10 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
47		17 December 1994	Sappada, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
48		20 December 1994		5 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
49		7 January 1995	Östersund, Sweden	30 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
50		14 January 1995	Nové Město, Czech Republic	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
51		4 February 1995	Falun, Sweden	10 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
52		5 February 1995		10 km Pursuit F	World Cup	1st
53		10 March 1995	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	Sapporo, Japan	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
56	1995–96	25 November 1995	Vuokatti, Finland	5 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
57		29 November 1995	Gällivare, Sweden	10 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
58		9 December 1995	Davos, Switzerland	5 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
59		10 December 1995		10 km Pursuit C	World Cup	2nd
60		13 December 1995	Brusson, Italy	10 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
61		9 January 1996	Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia	30 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
62		13 January 1996	Nové Město, Czech Republic	10 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
63		2 February 1996	Seefeld, Austria	5 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
64		4 February 1996	Reit im Winkl, Germany	1.0 km Sprint F	World Cup	1st
65		25 February 1996	Trondheim, Norway	10 km Pursuit F	World Cup	2nd
66		10 March 1996	Falun, Sweden	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
67	1996–97	23 November 1996	Kiruna, Sweden	5 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
68		7 December 1996	Davos, Switzerland	10 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
69		14 December 1996	Brusson, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
70		5 January 1997	Kavgolovo, Russia	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
71		11 January 1997	Hakuba, Japan	5 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
72		12 January 1997		10 km Pursuit F	World Cup	3rd
73		18 January 1997	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
74		21 February 1997	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	Falun, Sweden	5 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
79		11 March 1997	Sunne, Sweden	1.0 km Sprint F	World Cup	2nd
80		15 March 1997	Oslo, Norway	30 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
81	1997–98	20 December 1997	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	Lahti, Finland	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Cup	1st	Ordina / Lazutina / Reztsova
2	1988–89	23 February 1989	Lahti, Finland	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Championships	2nd	Shamshurina / Smetanina / Tikhonova
3		12 March 1989	Falun, Sweden	4 × 5 km Relay C	World Cup	2nd	Lazutina / Smetanina / Tikhonova
4	1989–90	11 March 1990	Örnsköldsvik, Sweden	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Cup	1st	Yegorova / Lazutina / Tikhonova
5	1990–91	15 February 1991	Val di Fiemme, Italy	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Championships	1st	Yegorova / Smetanina / Tikhonova
6		10 March 1991	Falun, Sweden	4 × 5 km Relay C	World Cup	1st	Nageykina / Yegorova / Tikhonova
7		15 March 1991	Oslo, Norway	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Cup	2nd	Nageykina / Smetanina/ Tikhonova
8	1991–92	18 February 1992	Albertville, France	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	Olympic Games	1st	Smetanina/ Lazutina / Yegorova
9		8 March 1992	Funäsdalen, Sweden	4 × 5 km Relay C	World Cup	2nd	Lazutina / Nageykina/ Yegorova
10	1992–93	26 February 1993	Falun, Sweden	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Championships	1st	Lazutina / Gavrylyuk / Yegorova
11	1993–94	22 February 1994	Lillehammer, Norway	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	Olympic Games	1st	Lazutina / Gavrylyuk / Yegorova
12		4 March 1994	Lahti, Finland	4 × 5 km Relay C	World Cup	2nd	Nageykina / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
13		13 March 1994	Falun, Sweden	4 × 5 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Nageykina / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
14	1994–95	15 January 1995	Nové Město, Czech Republic	4 × 5 km Relay C	World Cup	1st	Danilova /Gavrylyuk /Lazutina
15		29 January 1995	Lahti, Finland	4 × 5 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Zavyalova / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina
16		7 February 1995	Hamar, Norway	4 × 3 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Danilova / Gavrylyuk /Lazutina
17		12 February 1995	Oslo, Norway	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Cup	1st	Danilova / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
18		17 March 1995	Thunder Bay, Canada	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Championships	1st	Danilova / Lazutina /Gavrylyuk
19		26 March 1995	Sapporo, Japan	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Cup	1st	Gavrylyuk / Lazutina / Martynova
20	1995–96	17 December 1995	Santa Caterina, Italy	4 × 5 km Relay C	World Cup	1st	Lazutina / Gavrylyuk /Yegorova
21		14 January 1996	Nové Město, Czech Republic	4 × 5 km Relay C	World Cup	1st	Nageykina / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
22		2 February 1996	Seefeld, Austria	6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F	World Cup	3rd	Zavyalova
23		10 March 1996	Falun, Sweden	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Cup	1st	Gavrylyuk / Lazutina / Yegorova
24	1996–97	24 November 1996	Kiruna, Sweden	4 × 5 km Relay C	World Cup	1st	Gavrylyuk/Lazutina/ Yegorova
25		8 December 1996	Davos, Switzerland	4 × 5 km Relay C	World Cup	2nd	Gavrylyuk / Lazutina / Yegorova
26		15 December 1996	Brusson, Italy	4 × 5 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Gavrylyuk / Danilova / Yegorova
27		19 January 1997	Lahti, Finland	8 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F	World Cup	2nd	Gavrylyuk
28		28 February 1997	Trondheim, Norway	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Championships	1st	Danilova/ Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
29		9 March 1997	Falun, Sweden	4 × 5 km Relay C/F	World Cup	1st	Danilova /Lazutina / Gavrylyuk
30		16 March 1997	Oslo, Norway	4 × 5 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Danilova /Gavrylyuk / Nageykina
31	1997–98	7 December 1997	Santa Caterina, Italy	4 × 5 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Chepalova / Lazutina/ Danilova
32		14 December 1997	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

In Spanish: Yelena Välbe para niños