Yelena Valeryevna Välbe (, née Trubitsyna; born 20 April 1968) is a Russian former cross-country skier. She won a record-high 14 gold medals at the FIS World Championships, including all five golds in the 1997 edition. She also won three Olympic gold medals and four bronze medals in various Winter Olympic Games as well as four World Cup Crystal Globes.
She has been president of the Russian Cross-Country Ski Association since 2010, and manager of the Russian National Cross-Country Team since 2012. White Snow, a biographical sports drama about Välbe, was released in 2020–21.
She was elected to the FIS Council in 2021, but after she supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a number of European Ski Federations objected to her participation in the 2022 election, and Välbe's nomination was publicly opposed by the representatives of Sweden, Poland and Finland. As a result, she was removed from the position after garnering the fewest votes.
Career
Summary
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, 4 × 5 km relay; 1993: 15 km, 4 × 5 km relay; 1995: 30 km, 4 × 5 km relay), and three silver medals (1989: 4 × 5 km relay, 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 4 × 5 km relay). 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). Välbe also won the 5 km (1991) and 15 km (1992) competitions at the Holmenkollen ski festival. She received the Holmenkollen medal in 1992.
After retirement
In 2010, Välbe was elected as President of the Russian Cross-Country Ski Association. – FIS 29 June 2010 article accessed 30 June 2010. Late in 2012, she got the position of manager for the Russian Cross-Country Team towards the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. She was also manager for the Russian team during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
Välbe was elected to the FIS Council in 2021, but after she supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a number of European Ski Federations objected to her participation in the 2022 election, and Välbe's nomination was publicly opposed by the representatives of Sweden, Poland and Finland. As a result, she was removed from the position after garnering the fewest votes.
Views
In March 2023, Välve said the following about European politics and the United States.
Cross-country skiing results
All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games
7 medals – (3 gold, 4 bronze)
World Championships
17 medals – (14 gold, 3 silver)
World Cup
Season standings
Individual podiums
45 victories
81 podiums
Team podiums
24 victories – (24 ) 32 podiums – (30 , 2 )
Note: Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.
Personal life
Formerly she was married to Estonian cross-country skier Urmas Välbe. Together they had one child, Franz. She then married Maxim Dovolnov and gave birth to Polina and Varvara. She now lives in Moscow region.
In popular culture
White Snow – a biographical sports drama film about Välbe.