Yelena Välbe

With 17 victories at the Olympic Games and World Championships, Yelena Välbe has won more major championships than any other female cross-country skier. She was World Cup champion in 1988-89, 1990-91 and 1991-92 and was favored to win several medals at the 1992 Olympic Winter Games. She succeeded in earning a medal in every event, but in the four individual events, she won four bronze medals. She has three Olympic gold medals in the 1992, 1994, and 1998 relay. Her greatest performance came at the 1997 Worlds when she won a gold medal in all five cross-country events for women. At the World Championships, she has won the following titles: 1989 – 10 km. and 30 km.; 1991 – 10 km., 15 km., and relay; 1993 – 15 km. and relay; 1995 – 30 km. and relay; and 1997 – 5 km., 15 km., 30 km., pursuit, and relay. In addition she also won two silvers at the World Championships: 1989 - relay and 1995 - 15 km. Besides being the World Cup champion in 1988-89, 1990-91 and 1991-92, she won her fourth World Cup title in 1994-95 and fifth in 1996-97, while being second in 1989-90, 1992-93 and 1995-96, and third in 1993-94. After Bjørn Dæhlie who has 46 wins, Välbe holds records for the number of wins (45) and podiums (81) in FIS Cross-Country World Cup events. In 1992 Välbe was awarded the Holmenkollen medal. After her competitive career, Välbe was the vice president of Russian Skiing Federation from 2004-06 and the head coach of Russian 2006 Olympic team.