2013 Chaikovsky RUS
|
|
In early
March of 2013, the Old Boys of the ski jumping
world assembled in Chaykovsky, in the Perm Region
of Russia, for the International Masters Championships.
This town with about 80 thousand people is in the
Ural Mountains about 200 km south-west of the city
of Perm and about 1000 km east of Moscow. (We
find several other spellings of "Chaykovsky"
which is transliterated from Russian.)
|
|
|
The 2103 IMC on the shiny new Chaykovsky jumping facility (below) offered competition on four hills: K-95, 65 & 40 meters, and a 20 meter for the "Golden Oldies", plus cross country races for Nordic Combined competition, and two team events.
Five brand new hills
in Chaykovsky, K-95, 125, 65, 20 & 40, ready for
the Old Boys.
This wonderful facility was completed in 2012 and the
first jumps were taken in February of that year. In March,
they hosted the Russian National Championships. The web
site
skisprungschanzen.com
reports that 110 million Euros were spent for new jumps,
biathlon course, and a hotel (right), and that the new
facility is affiliated with a winter sports school for
150 students. Most of the participants stayed in this
hotel which was an easy walk from the jumps. The jumps
are in two clusters separated by about 100 meters and
each group boasts its own chair lift.
Participants at IMC 2013 report that
the new hills are beautiful and were in excellent condition
throughout the IMC. One skier suggested that the word
"perfect" may not be strong enough. Another said that
the hills were probably the best in the history of the
IMC. And the facility provides good waxing rooms and changing
room. The weather can be summed up in one word: "COLD."
The temperature was -28 C (-18 F) at the beginning of
the first competition!
The shedule provided for open training on Sunday, March
3, and then on Monday and Tuesday, open training but with
the nations divided into two groups assigned to separate
sessions to reduce the waiting time at the tops of the
jumps.
Among the items that each skier received
was a beautiful number bib, personalized with his name
and nation. Long time favorite at IMC, Arne Jens Jorgensen
(right) wore his new bib during big hill training.
On Tuesday evening, participants gathered
in the Chaikovsky town square (below) for the opening
ceremonies.
When we think of the central square
in a European town, we think of a public space hemmed
in by ancient buildings, but not so in this town. Here
the town square has an open feel and the buildings all
look fresh and recently built. The town of Chaikovsky
was established in 1955 and was named after the Russian
composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who was born in the
nearby town of Votkinsk. If you look carefully in the
picture above-left, you can spy a statue of the composer
in place of honor (closeup above-right).
At the opening ceremony, teams lined
up behind placards bearing their national flags, and were
entertained by singing and dancing, and more dancing and
more dancing.
A cross country skier (below, right)
came skating into view carrying a flaming torch -- we
are told that this was lit from the Olympic flame bound
for Sochi for the 2014 Olympics. A flaming cauldron was
lit that burned throughout the IMC (below, left).
Somehow in the process, not one but two fires flared up
on the two front corners of the stage. We don't know if
that was staged or if it was really an accident. At right
we see an official trying to stamp out the flames before
it damaged the equipment.
The team leaders of the eight national
teams in attendance were called onto the stage and welcomed
by two women in traditional costumes. One carried a round
loaf of bread and the other brought a tray with small
glasses of vodka.
Competition began the next morning,
Wednesday, March 6, with the premier IMC event, the K-65
meter jumping. The skiers were greeted by a temperature
of -28 C but the show went on.
Organizers divided the 123 skiers
into two groups with the younger skiers (those under 50)
competing first on that frigid morning. The sun had warmed
things up a bit by the afternoon when the older skiers
(50 and up) had their turn to jump. Here are two class
winners on the K-65 who each won a second gold medal on
another hill.
Rolf Markussen (NOR) Gold on 40 & 65
|
|
Vladimir Frolov (RUS) Gold on 65 & 95
|
Later in the afternoon, the younger
Nordic Combined skiers, 29 hardy racers, took to
the cross country course, having earned their jumping
points in the 65 meter competition. They chose waxes
for very cold snow. Cross country races were held
on the new Biathlon facility about 2.5 km from the
jumps.
Award ceremonies for each day's
events were held in the evening at the hotel, where
three young ladies in traditional costumes (right)
carried certificates up for the medalists.
|
|
At left we see IMC participants
gathered in the hotel lobby, up the stairway and
on the balcony for the first of three daily award
ceremonies.
Seated right up front are the
two oldest competitors: Kurt Brausse (arms crossed)
and Teuvo Koljonen (white shirt).
|
Thursday, the day for 40 meter competition, brought foul
weather. The older age groups (65 skiers ages 50 and up)
skied in the morning but during a trial and one competition
round, the wind grew stronger and stronger. The four oldest
skiers (75 and up) had taken their second jumps when officials
ruled that the competition should not go on, so the five
age groups of skiers 50 to 74 years old were scored on
just a single round of jumping. Here are two class winners
on the K-40.
Kurt Brausse (GER) Gold on K-40
The oldest IMC jumper, just turned 78.
|
|
Alf Tore Haug (NOR) Gold on K-40
He was IMC President for several years.
|
The Thursday afternoon 40 meter competition
for the younger skiers was postponed until Friday, but
the cross country for the older age groups ran as scheduled.
Friday was a very long and busy day, but the good weather
returned. The schedule was changed to make time for the
added 40 meter competition. The day started with 29 skiers
lining up at 9 am for the 20 meter jumping. This competition
was just for the oldest skiers with four age groups for
jumpers 60 and up, plus a single class for those under
60. Here are two Old Boys on the K-20 who are long-time
IMC competitors with contrasting styles of jumping --
one in classic form, the other getting his 'V' on.
Arnold Lund (NOR) in classic form
Two Golds and a Silver medal
|
|
Anatoliy Chistyakov (RUS) with a 'V'
A Gold and a Silver medal
|
At noon, 39 competitors under age 50
took to the 40 meter hill for their competition postponed
from Thursday. Finally, at 8 pm 66 jumpers competed under
the lights on the big hill, K-95. Here are two jumpers
on the big hill -- each of them took home two golds and
a silver.
Seppo Kinnunen (FIN) on the big hill
Two Golds and a Silver medal
|
|
Stanislav Dubrovskiy (RUS) in flight
Two Golds and a Silver medal
|
The Russians spared no expense when
they built this facility. We see that the start area on
the big hill, and the other hills too for that matter,
enjoys every modern luxury. They have a zillion starts,
and the flat areas where skiers put on their skis are
long enough for the largest jumping skis and still leave
room for other jumpers to walk past.
LOOK MA, NO SNOW!!
The two large hills, according to skisprungschanzen.com,
are equipped with all-season refrigerated track made by
Ski-line. These provide an ice track in summer and winter
without snow. At right, we see jumper Ari Noponen of Finland
just settling into the track -- he knows that it will
be straight and smooth and fast.
Saturday was the day for team competitions
with the team jumping on the K-65 at 10 am, followed by
a Nordic Combined team relay at 1 pm. In both events,
the teams have four members aged 30+, 40+, 50+ and 60+.
These competitions are usually usually shootouts between
Norway and Finland for bragging rights, but this year
it was different. In the jump, Finland placed fourth following
NOR-I, RUS-I & NOR-II.
In the team jumping, Norway took first and third
and Russia was second.
The tables were turned in the Nordic
Combined with Russia taking the first two spots, then
Finland -- Team Norway had to settle for fifth place.
In the NC Relay, Russia
took first and second and Finland finished third.
Later in the afternoon, buses carried
the participants on about a half hour ride to the closing
banquet. Awards for the two team events were that first
order of business at the banquet -- the ceremony was performed
outside (see two pictures above).
IMC participants were welcomed with songs sung by a group
of women in traditional costumes and a man playing accordion,
and by a line of girls in costume.
Inside the banquet
hall, a feast awaited, with drinks for all.
|
|
Along with the big dinner there
was entertainment: more dancing and singing.
Photography was difficult in the crowded room,
but we can show you two of the acts waiting in
the wings for their big moment.
There was also an X-rated dance act that received
mixed reviews.
|
|
|
Kurt
Brausse (GER) was the oldest jumper at IMC 2013,
as he was in 2012 in Sczcyrk, Poland. Kurt turned
78 on March 4 but took home a gold medal from the
K-40 and silver from the K-20 competitions. At the
right, Kurt is congratulated by James Lambert who
has just finished his term as IMC President. James
displays his Britishness by wearing kilts.
|
|
At left, trying to keep warm
in the frigid temperature of IMC 2013, is Sindre
Helland of Norway, the only skier to have participated
in all 24 editions of IMC. He is now accompanied
at the Championships by his son Joakim.
|
|
|
The two main IMC
organizers were IMC stalwarts. The Chief of Competition
was Sergey Chervyakov (left) who competed in IMC
in the 1990's.
And the Chairman of the Organizing committee
was Aleksandr Postanogov (right) who has competed
for many years now and who even found the time
and energy to jump in the K-65 and 95 meter competitions
in Chaikovsky.
|
|
|
After the eating and drinking, after
the speeches and gifts, after the singing and dancing,
the participants at IMC 2013 in Chaikovsky began the many
warm goodbyes as they parted from their friends for another
year.
In 1998 when the IMC was hosted in
Perm, Russia, not far from Chaikovsky, we learned that
ski jumping was alive and well in the Ural Mountains.
Skiers who had not come to the previous events in Scandinavia
or the U.S. turned out in large numbers and showed their
skills in jumping and their strength in cross country
skiing. It was no surprise then when in 2013 Russia
fielded a team of 109 excellent athletes (plus 4 pre-masters
25-29), the largest national team ever seen at IMC.
It is sad that so many of these fine competitors are
unable to travel west when the IMC is not in their back
yard. Also sad was the small turnout of visiting teams
in Chaikovsky. Only eight nations were represented and
the visiting teams were all smaller than usual. We can
guess the reasons -- long trip, high costs, bad economic
times, and more -- but it is sad to see such a small
turnout. In 2012 we had 17 nations in Sczcyrk, POL,
having set the record of 18 the previous year in Harrachov,
CZE. The number of athletes in Chaikovsky was large
only because of the huge home-team. (The German team
might have been larger but some of the skiers had trouble
obtaining visas for travel in Russia.)
We have been pleased in the past when every nation at
the IMC took home at least one medal, but this year
three of the eight teams went home empty-handed. The
178 athletes posted 388 individual results, compared
to the record of 408 results by 191 skiers at Taivalkoski
in 2008.
A Brief Statistical Summary
A quick count
in the result sheets show that 178 skiers from
8 nations recorded 388 finishes. Here are two
tables -- one showing the team sizes and medal
counts, and the other showing class sizes in the
five events.
NAT team .. medals.. Ages K-20 K-40 K-65 K-95 NC Total
size G S B --------------------------------------
----------------------- 75-79 3 4 1 0 3 11
AUT 1 0 0 0 70-74 4 4 1 0 3 12
FIN 19 9 10 8 65-69 3 8 5 2 5 23
GBR 1 0 0 0 60-64 11 15 9 4 10 49
GER 7 1 3 0 55-59 8 16 11 5 7 47
NOR 34 12 13 10 50-54 18 15 7 9 49
RUS 113* 20 17 23 45-49 14 20 10 10 54
SWI 2 3 0 0 40-44 13 22 10 8 53
UKR 1 0 0 0 35-39 10 24 14 7 55
----------------------- 30-34 2 11 11 4 28
178 45 43 41 (25-29) 4 3 7
-------------------------------------
*includes 4 premasters Totals: 29 104 123 66 66 388
We have also prepared
a list of all 178 competitors in IMC-2013 showing
the skiers' nations and how they placed in each
event. Take
a look.
|
Heroes of IMC 2013
IMC rules restrict a skier to two jumping events
plus Nordic Combined, so an athlete can take home at most
three individual medals. In 2013, eight athletes did win
three medals, led by Stanislav Dubrovskiy (RUS), Seppo
Kinnunen (FIN) and Arnold Lund (NOR) who each
won two golds and a silver. You can find the five others
in the medalist list below.
Four IMC athletes in age groups V and up (50+) chose to
compete in the two larger hill competitions plus Nordic
Combined, but an IMC rule required Nordic Combined competitors
50 years old and older to earn their NC jumping points
on the 40 meter hill. This required the four to compete
on three jumping hills. Of the four, only one skied in
both team events - that athlete was Aatto Lamminpфф
(right) who was chosen for both of Finland's A-teams,
making him the Ironman of the 2013 IMC, competing in six
events.
Meetings of the IMC Committee produced a new Board to
lead the movement for the next two years. The Board consists
of Manuela Steinki & Klaus Gu"nther of Germany and
Stein Arne Hoel of Norway but the roles and titles of
these three were not designated. The meetings did not
name a host for IMC 2014.
Thank you to Erkki Ahtiainen and Manuela Steinki
for their written reports on IMC 2013 - these provided
much of the story recorded above. And thank you even more
to Manuela for providing thousands of pictures. We mined
her photo galleries for almost all of the pictures shown
here.
Chaykovsky organizers produced results in .pdf files,
one for each age group on each hill, plus Nordic Combined,
57 files in all. Results for the Nordic Combined jumping
in class 50-54 are not available so we have linked to
the full jumping results instead. Nine of the 14 skiers
shown there competed in the Nordic Combined cross country
race. Here are links to the results.
Here
are the names of the medalists from IMC2013 in
Chaikovsky
Skijumpeast.com,
31.03.2013
|