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Yelena Välbe

Yelena Välbe
Elena Vaelbe by Ivan Isaev from Russian Ski Magazine (crop).jpg
Välbe in a 2004 TV interview.
Personal information
Native name Елена Валерьевна Вяльбе
Birth name Yelena Trubitsyna
Full name Yelena Valerjevna Välbe
Nationality Russian
Born (1968-04-20) April 20, 1968 (age 48)
Magadan, Russian SFSR
Sport
Country Russia
Sport Women's cross-country skiing

Yelena Valerjevna Välbe, née Trubitsyna (Russian: Елена Валерьевна Вяльбе (Трубицына), Estonian: Jelena Välbe, born 20 April 1968 in Magadan, Russian SFSR) is a Russian former cross-country skier. She has been president of the Russian Cross-Country Ski Association since 2010, and manager of the Russian cross-country team since 2012.

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, Välbe won a record-high fourteen gold (1989: 10 km freestyle, 30 km; 1991: 10 km, 15 km, 4x5 km; 1993: 15 km, 4x5 km; 1995: 30 km, 4x5 km relay), and three silver medals (1989: 4x5 km, 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 4x5 km). 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) (she also finished second in 1990, 1993, 1996, and third in 1994). Välbe also won the 5 km (1991) and 15 km (1992) competitions at the Holmenkollen ski festival. She received the Holmenkollen medal in 1992.

Together with Bjørn Dæhlie of Norway, she holds second place for the number of podiums (81) in FIS Cross-Country World Cup events, behind Marit Bjørgen (105). She is placed third for the number of wins (45), behind Marit Bjørgen (75) and Bjørn Dæhlie (46).


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