Photo credit: pravda-nn.ru
Russian athlete Natalya Voronina was awarded the prize, which bears the name of Oscar Mathisen, TASS reports. Every year it celebrates the best performance in speed skating. The Russian woman will receive a prize for her performance at the world championship. The tournament was held in Salt Lake City four months ago. Natalia Voronina won the race at a five-kilometer distance, breaking it with a new world record. The result of the 25-year-old Russian woman was 6 minutes 39.02 seconds.
At the last Olympic Games, Voronina closed the top-3. She also won bronze seven times at the world championships. Voronina became the first Russian athlete to be awarded the Oscar Mathisen Prize. The prize will be awarded at one of the international tournaments of the next season.
Alexei Kravtsov, who heads the Russian Skating Union called this prize the Oscar of speed skating. Alexei Kravtsov recalled that the last Soviet owner of the award was Nikolai Gulyaev, he was awarded the prize back in the 80-s of the last century. Kravtsov congratulated Voronina on her victory, and expressed gratitude to her coach Pavel Abratkevich and all the staff of the team.
Russkiy Mir
