The cloudy snowy weather met the participants of World Cup, JWOC and EYOC in ski-centre "Berezovaia roshia" in Russian city Ivanovo this morning. The competitions began with sprint race. World Cup athletes took their start first at 10.00AM, but most interesting fights were expected between competitors with the latest start positions. The race was very fast, in spite of the fact that the tracks in the forest were mellow and soft.
Russian women had a very good race today. Four of them took places in top six. Tatiana Vlasova won one more gold medal in this season. Her team-mates Shevchenko Olga and Tomilova Natalia shared the third place, and Svetlana Shvetsova was the sixth. World Cup leader Stine Hjermstad Kirkevik finished in 15 seconds from Vlasova and took silver. Finnish Katja Rajaniemi and Hannele Valkonen assured for their team the 5th and the 6th places respectively.
In men category Sweden’s colors flying high - Tomas Lofgren achieved convincing victory, his compatriot Bengt Leandersson was 14 seconds down on the winning time. Top three closed Russian athlete Osipov Sergey, which is fighting for the third place of World Cup 
overall. Kongas Teemu and Tunis Staffan from Finland with the same time on the 4th place. Another one Russian - Ruslan Gritsan - have a best performance of this season, the 6th place.
Favorite of the race Khrennikov Eduard was just 11th, he made a little mistake of the route choice and lost about 20 seconds.
Juniors went to the distance after the World Cup competitors. 63 men and 47 women fought for the podium. Five medals of six possible took Russian athletes. Tatiana Kozlova maintained here title Junior World Champion in sprint. She said after the finish: "I am fond of distance. It needed route choices and good work for realization. The map was correct, I had not any problems and mistakes. » Russians Shilova Maria and Kravchenko Anastasia rose to the podium with Tatiana. Polina Malchikova supported here compatriots and took the 4th place. Everything that Swedish Emma Olofsson and Eva Svensson could do - to take 5th and 6th places.
In men junior class Russian took a gold medal too. Andrey Lamov, new Junior World Champion: "The distance was not difficult for me. After one control point I choose the rout, but understood that nobody used it before me, that’s why I went the better track. » The second time have Lamov`s team-mate Kashchuk Taras. He said: "It was the first time I competed in Junior World Championship. I had long preparing period before this competitions and I am glad that I have a good result. It is too hard for me to fight with Lamov yet." Taivainen Olli-Markus from Finland took the bronze. Next three places occupied participants from different countries: Grape Calle from Sweden, Salatkin Alexander from Russia and Daehli Magne from Norway.
In the last turn in this day started the youngest participants. European Youth Championship medals won Russian and Swedish athletes. Russia took gold again, Nadezhda Lyapsina won in category W17, Gustav Nordstrom from Sweden achieved victory in category M17.

Photos:
1 place-M17 Nordstrem Gustav.JPG
1 place-M20 Lamov Andrey.JPG
1 place-M21 Lofgren Tomas.JPG
1 place-W17 Lyapsina Nadezhda.JPG
1 place-W20 Kozlova Tatiana.JPG
1 place-W21 Vlasova Tatiana.JPG
2 place-M17 Andriyanov Anatoliy.JPG
2 place-M20 Kashchuk Taras.JPG
2 place-M21 Leandersson Bengt.JPG
2 place-W17 Medvedeva Tatiana.JPG
2 place-W20 Shilova Maria.JPG
2 place-W21 Hjermstad Kikevik Stine.JPG
3 place-M17 Magnusson Carl.JPG
3 place-M20 Taivainen Olle-Markus.JPG
3 place-W17 Nordebo Kristina.JPG
3 place-W20 Kravchenko Anastasia.JPG
3 place-W21 Shevchenko Olga.JPG
3place-M21 Osipov Sergey.JPG
4 place-M20 Grape Calle.JPG
4 place-M21 Tunis Staffan.JPG
4 place-W20 Malchikova Polina.JPG
5 place-M20 Salatkin Alexander.JPG
5 place-W21 Rajaniemi Katja.JPG
6 place-M21 Gritsan Ruslan.JPG
6 place-W20 Eva Svensson.JPG
6 place-W21 Shvetsova Svetlana.JPG
6 place-W21 Valkonen Hannele.JPG
DSC02554.JPG
DSC02687.JPG
Kozlova Tatiana with coach.JPG
Kozlova Tatiana.JPG
Kravchenko Anastasia.JPG
Lamov Andrey.JPG
Lofgren Tomas and Leandersson Bendt.JPG
Medvedeva Tatiana and Lyapsina Nadezhda.JPG
Osipov Sergei and Tolstopiatov Vadim.JPG
Prize giving ceremony-M17.JPG
Prize giving ceremony-M20.JPG
Prize giving ceremony-M21.JPG
Prize giving ceremony-W17.JPG
Prize giving ceremony-W20.JPG
Prize giving ceremony-W21.JPG
Russian women-team.JPG
Salatkin Alexander.JPG
Taivainen Olle-Markus.JPG