Report from 10th MSG 2018

It was not an easy task – the organization of the 10th Sprint Games in Moscow. At first it seemed that everything is clear and you just need to make some efforts and everything will be fine! If life was so simple! But here are all the problems behind and you can meet old friends, completely immersed in the atmosphere of the holiday. I would like to note the excellent work of the Organizing Committee headed by Vladimir Letunov. Everyone knew his place, volunteers told foreign friends the right directions.

Separate words of gratitude to the administration of the Krylatskoye stadium. Ideal conditions – ice temperature -6 C, air temperature +15 C, ice thickness was minimized to achieve excellent glide – ice was perfect! The competitions were held in an atmosphere of friendship and keen competition – such seemingly mutually exclusive concepts are always combined in masters’ competitions. As always, one of the most numerous team was sent by the Netherlands.

As never before, many skaters flew from Japan and among them the oldest speed skater Iichi Marumo. Frosty and sunny weather made it possible to see the beauties of Moscow before the competitions. The competitions were a success! 82 PB and 290 SB were improved. And few IMSSC records: Alla Berezina (AG75) and Alina Komarova (AG80) made changes to the list of records. The apotheosis of the holiday of skates was, of course, the final banquet. Lovely hall, excellent cuisine created a very warm atmosphere. Pleased with their presence wellknown skaters of the past years – Olympic champion Nikolai Gulyaev, World champion Oleg Bozhyev, prizer of the Olympics Varvara Barysheva, prizers of the World Championships Dmitriy Botchkarev and Andrei Bakhvalov. 

The girls band TANSLU led the audience so much that to the end of the party no one could sit at the table, the dance floor was full. Tomoko Vakazuki, as always, was charming in her kimono! But all good things come to the end, and 10th Masters Sprint Games are over. Moscow will miss these wonderful days and will wait next meeting of friends.

P.S. By the way, the most restless skaters did not stop there and went to Baikal! But that was a completely different story…