MOSCOW, August 12, Sergey Fuks. Three-time Olympic champion in cross-country skiing Alexander Bolshunov said that Russian athletes need competition. On Friday, the Luzhniki sports complex in Moscow hosts a ceremony of awarding state awards to Russian Olympians. Bolshunov was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky. «I want to express my deep gratitude on behalf of the athletes for the support from the state. Our work is really appreciated. Thanks to the team, coaches, masseurs, doctors, servicemen, family. We now need tournaments both within the country and and beyond, we need competition, so we will grow. I hope they will be organized, and we will not let you down, «Bolshunov said. Bolshunov is 25 years old. He is a three-time Olympic champion, world champion and two-time World Cup winner.
