15.01.2019

​​​​​​In December 2018, Sopka Cluster in Krasnoyarsk hosted the latest test competitions of the Winter Universiade 2019, Snowboard Russian Cup Stages. Alexey Potapov, Sports Referee of All-Russian Category and Category A FIS Snowboard Judge, was Chief of Competition. In anticipation of the coming test Snowboard competitions of the Winter Universiade 2019 that will continue in Krasnoyarsk in January, Alexey Potapov shared his impressions of Sopka Cluster and the event organisation.

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- What do you think of Sopka, the new sports cluster?

- I first saw Sopka in the summer of 2018 during the inspection visit and even back then I was amazed by the scale of this project. The ground works had already been completed at a very high level. Then I visited Sopka again for the test Snowboard competitions of the Winter Universiade 2019. I would say the cluster infrastructure has been thought out to the smallest detail and equals Sochi Olympic venues. It provides both athletes and coaches with all the necessary facilities not only for training and competitions but also for recreation, medical care and meetings. But the main thing is that Krasnoyarsk cluster has courses for Moguls, Slopestyle, Halfpipe and Aerials. There is a lack of such venues in our country as their construction and maintenance require serious financial investments, highly qualified specialists and high-tech equipment, such as snow-making systems.

Krasnoyarsk is the main supplier of athletes to the Russian National Snowboard Team: it has brought up a real constellation of national and world champions, World Cups and Olympic Games medallists, including Nikolai Olyunin, Silver Medal winner of the 2014 Winter Olympics. I am sure that Sopka Cluster will bring us new champions from Krasnoyarsk.

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- In December, Sopka Cluster hosted the Snowboard Russian Cup Stages. Do you think the venue can be used for higher level competitions?

- Sopka Cluster should become a mecca for Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard in Russia and might just as well attract such international competitions as the World Championship or the World Cup. Freestyle Federation of Russia announced a while ago that Sopka will host the Moguls World Cup Stages in March 2020. The decision was made after the successful Freestyle Skiing test competitions of the Winter Universiade Krasnoyarsk 2019.

- Are there any recommendations regarding the preparation of Sopka for the Winter Universiade 2019 and other competitions?

- We should give credit to the specialists involved in the course preparation. There was enough good quality snow produced in the shortest time possible, which is quite hard to do for the first sports season. I believe that by the time of the Universiade the courses will be brought to the perfect condition, widened and made more comfortable for the athletes and that the chairlifts will be running faster. There is one more recommendation: if possible, next competitions should be scheduled for the early spring so that the participants and organisers don't get frozen. (laughs)

- You took part in the training of judges for the test events and the main competitions of the Winter Universiade 2019. Tell us more about this experience.

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- In the last three years, there have been a number of Judge Seminars held in Krasnoyarsk: in December 2016, 2017, and 2018. Their purpose was to make up a pool of qualified judges of the Krasnoyarsk Territory residents who will work at the Russian and international competitions, including the Winter Universiade 2019. Seminar participants attended theoretical and practical classes, learned the workings of the Snowboard Aerial disciplines; we watched and analysed competition records together. Those who completed the course are real specialists, which was clearly demonstrated in the past test competitions.

- Will you come to Krasnoyarsk for the Winter Universiade 2019?

- I really want to work at the forthcoming Games. The reason I came to Krasnoyarsk for the test Snowboard competitions was to prepare for the Winter Universiade 2019. I have had similar experience. I was Chief of Competition at the 2017 Universiade in Almaty, Snowboard World Cup in Moscow and Sochi Olympic Games. If my schedule allows, I would also love to see the Winter Universiade 2019 as a spectator. But still, I tend to enjoy working at Snowboard competitions more.