“Unacceptable!” Olympic champion Bolshunov lashes out and injures rival after sprint semifinal

A scandal erupted at a cross‑country sprint in Kirovsk, Russia, when Olympic champion Alexander Bolshunov lost his temper after the finish of his semifinal. Bolshunov and rival Alexander Bakurov had already clashed on course, and both failed to advance to the final.

In the finish zone, as Bakurov leaned against the boards, Bolshunov shoved him to the ground. Bakurov sustained an elbow injury and said he will need roughly two weeks to recover. Speaking to Russia’s Match TV, Bakurov condemned the incident: “I don’t expect an apology. If they want one, fine. But an apology won’t change anything. This must definitely stop. Such behavior is unacceptable.”

Bolshunov, who has had past controversies, responded sarcastically that officials would “probably disqualify me for five races, because I’m the athlete everyone loves,” adding he would “withstand the blow, however hard it is.” In the end, the punishment was relatively lenient: he was suspended for one race.

Because of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Russian athletes are currently barred from competing in FIS World Cups, so this altercation occurred at a domestic event rather than at the international level.