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.

Yelena Välbe
Yelena Välbe in 2021
Country Russia
Full nameYelena Valeryevna Välbe
Born (1968-04-20) 20 April 1968 (age 56)
Magadan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia)
Height164 cm (5 ft 5 in)[1]
Spouse(s)Urmas Välbe (divorced in 2005)
Ski clubCSKA Moscow
World Cup career
Seasons11– (1987, 19891998)
Indiv. starts117
Indiv. podiums81
Indiv. wins45
Team starts33
Team podiums32
Team wins24
Overall titles5 – (1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997)
Discipline titles1 – (1 LD: 1997)
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Olympic Games
Representing  Russia
Gold medal – first place 1994 Lillehammer 4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place 1998 Nagano 4 × 5 km relay
Representing  Unified Team
Gold medal – first place 1992 Albertville 4 × 5 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Albertville 5 km classical
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Albertville 15 km classical
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Albertville 5 km + 10 km
combined pursuit
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Albertville 30 km freestyle
World Championships
Representing  Russia
Gold medal – first place 1993 Falun 15 km classical
Gold medal – first place 1993 Falun 4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place 1995 Thunder Bay 30 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1995 Thunder Bay 4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place 1997 Trondheim 5 km classical
Gold medal – first place 1997 Trondheim 5 km + 10 km
combined pursuit
Gold medal – first place 1997 Trondheim 15 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1997 Trondheim 30 km classical
Gold medal – first place 1997 Trondheim 4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 1995 Thunder Bay 15 km classical
Representing  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1989 Lahti 10 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1989 Lahti 30 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1991 Val di Fiemme 10 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1991 Val di Fiemme 15 km classical
Gold medal – first place 1991 Val di Fiemme 4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 1989 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 1991 Val di Fiemme 30 km freestyle
Junior World Championships
Representing  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1987 Asiago 15 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1987 Asiago 3 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 1986 Lake Placid 5 km classical
Silver medal – second place 1986 Lake Placid 3 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 1987 Asiago 5 km classical
Bronze medal – third place 1986 Lake Placid 15 km freestyle

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

Career

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Summary

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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).[3] 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).[4] At the 1992 Winter Olympics, she entered in every competition in cross-country skiing and medaled in all of them.

After retirement

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In 2004, she lost when she ran for president of the Russian Ski Racing Federation.[1] In 2010, Välbe was elected as President of the Russian Cross-Country Ski Association.[5] 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.[6]

Välbe was elected to the FIS Council in 2021, but after she supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022,[7] 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.[2][8][9]

Political career

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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.[10] 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.[citation needed] Having won the elections,[citation needed] she refused to be a deputy, and the Central Election Commission transferred her mandate to Aleksey Govyrin. She eventually withdrew her candidacy.[11]

In 2023, Välbe joined the PutinTeam, whose members supported Vladimir Putin's nomination for the 2024 Russian presidential election.[12]

Views

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In 2022, Välbe supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying that "we are not at war with Ukraine and no one attacked it."[13][14]

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."[15]

In March 2023, Välbe said the following about European politics and the United States.[16]

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.[7] In December 2023, she said of Putin: "I love our president madly."[17]

In September 2024, she said that ‘if Russia dropped a bomb in London, Russians would be allowed to attend the Olympics’.[18][19][20][21][22]

Personal life

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Välbe is estranged from her father, Valery Ivanovich Trubitsyn.[23][1] Her father is Ukrainian-born, and lives in Ukraine.[23][7]

Explaining her character, she said that as a child, she and her mother Galina Grigorievna Synkova lived with her maternal grandparents.[1] Her maternal grandfather told her: "Don't wait to be hit, hit you in the face first."[1]

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.[1][10] They separated the year after they married, and divorced in 2005.[1][23] She later gave birth to Polina and Varvara, and since her divorce moved to and now lives in the Istra district in Moscow Oblast.[1]

Cross-country skiing results

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All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[24]

Olympic Games

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  • 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

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  • 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 6 Gold Gold Silver
1991 22 Gold Gold Silver Gold
1993 24 4 Gold 6 19 Gold
1995 26 4 Silver 12 Gold Gold
1997 28 Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold

World Cup

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Season standings

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

Individual podiums

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  • 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[1] 1st
6 25 February 1989 30 km Individual F World Championships[1] 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[1] 1st
18 10 February 1991 10 km Individual F World Championships[1] 1st
19 16 February 1991 30 km Individual F World Championships[1] 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[1] 3rd
28 13 February 1992 5 km Individual C Olympic Games[1] 3rd
29 15 February 1992 10 km Pursuit F Olympic Games[1] 3rd
30 21 February 1992 10 km Pursuit F Olympic Games[1] 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[1] 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[1] 2nd
54 18 March 1995 30 km Individual F World Championships[1] 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[1] 1st
75 23 February 1997 5 km Individual C World Championships[1] 1st
76 24 February 1997 10 km Pursuit F World Championships[1] 1st
77 1 March 1997 30 km Individual C World Championships[1] 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

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  • 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[1] 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[1] 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[1] 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[1] 1st Lazutina / Gavrylyuk / Yegorova
11 1993–94 22 February 1994   Lillehammer, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F Olympic Games[1] 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[1] 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[1] 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: 1 Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

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  • White Snow – a biographical sports drama film about Välbe.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Serviceman of the Russian national team Urmas Vyalbe: I'm not going to Russia for money". dynamotickets.ru.
  2. ^ a b Mike Rowbottom (May 29, 2022). "Bumpy course for new FIS President Eliasch as the sport's heartlands revolt". Inside the Games.
  3. ^ "VM i Trondheim i 1997" (in Norwegian). Ski-VM 2011 AS. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  4. ^ Mattias Karen (February 27, 2015). "La revanche des Norvégiennes" [Norwegian Revenge]. Le Devoir (in French). Associated Press. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  5. ^ "Presidential elections in Norway, Russia", fis-ski.com, Retrieved February 24, 2013 Archived October 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Eirik Borud, Ole Kristian Strøm (December 6, 2012). "Denne kvinnen er Russlands nye landslagssjef" [This woman is Russia's new coach]. Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved February 24, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c "Former Olympic cross-country skiing champion Välbe 'proud her brother went to war in Ukraine'". Yahoo News. November 9, 2023.
  8. ^ Marcus Lindqvist (September 30, 2022). "Jelena Välbe efter Putins mobilisering: "uteslutet att Ryssland får delta i vinter"". hbl.fi.
  9. ^ ""Skandal!" Ärger um russische Langlaufchefin nach FIS-Wahl". sport.de. May 27, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Olympic champion from Russia admires what Russia has done to Mariupol as fantastic". Obozrevatel. September 26, 2023.
  11. ^ "Nearly a fifth of Russia's new State Duma deputies owe their jobs to secondhand mandates - REM". russian-election-monitor.org. October 18, 2021.
  12. ^ "Елена Вяльбе: для меня честь быть в команде Путина! Он должен победить" [Elena Vyalbe: it’s an honor for me to be on Putin’s team! He must win]. Sovsport.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  13. ^ "Елена Вяльбе: "Мы должны сплотиться вокруг президента и всей ситуации. Мы не воюем с Украиной, и на нее никто не нападал"" [Elena Vyalbe: “We must rally around the president and the whole situation. We are not at war with Ukraine, and no one attacked it.”]. Sports.ru (in Russian). 21 March 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  14. ^ "Елена Вяльбе: считаю, что мы должны сплотиться вокруг Путина" [Elena Vyalbe: I think that we should rally around Putin]. betassist.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  15. ^ Christian Ipsen (February 9, 2022). "Én kommentar har fået russisk skipræsident til at boykotte norsk presse - TV 2". sport.tv2.dk.
  16. ^ Елена Вяльбе (March 28, 2023). "Босс российских лыж Елена Вяльбе высказалась о международной политике США: "Миром правит только США, чего уж скрывать"". Sports.ru.
  17. ^ OleksandrChekanov (December 27, 2023). ""If not for Putin, there will be no people left on earth": Russian Olympic champion epically bent over before the dictator". Obozrevatel.
  18. ^ "Російська фунціонерка про те, як попасти на Олімпіаду: "Якби ми кинули серйозну бомбу на центр Лондона, все б уже закінчилося і нас би скрізь пустили"". www.ostro.org (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-09-29.
  19. ^ ""Нас би вже всюди пустили": головна лижниця Росії запропонувала бомбити Лондон (відео)". ФОКУС (in Ukrainian). 2024-09-28. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
  20. ^ "Russia suggested "throwing a serious bomb on London" to return to world sport". Obozrevatel. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
  21. ^ "Голова федерації лиж росії закликала бомбити Лондон". www.ua-football.com (in Ukrainian). 2024-09-29. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
  22. ^ "Russian sports official suggested dropping a bomb on London - all the latest news today – 112.ua". 112.ua. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
  23. ^ a b c "Former Olympic cross-country skiing champion Välbe 'proud her brother went to war in Ukraine'". english.nv.ua. November 9, 2023.
  24. ^ "VAELBE TRUBITSINA Elena". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
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