Sports events in summer. Calendar of sporting events for betting in October. Boxing. Battles at Wembley and in court

The most important sporting events of 2017 will be the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, the Ice Hockey World Championships in France and Germany and the Biathlon World Championships in Austria.

Top rated sport competitions— final tournaments of the World and European Football Championships and the Olympic Games are traditionally held in even-numbered years. Nevertheless, many important tournaments will also take place in 2017, including in Russia.

In February in Hochfilzen, Austria the championship will be held biathlon world. The Russian team will try to rehabilitate itself after its failure at the world championship in 2016, where for the first time in history it did not win a single medal.

The World Hockey Championships will take place in Paris and Cologne in May. In this sport, Russians also did not achieve their goals in 2016. Oleg Znarok's team lost at the semi-final stage both at the home World Championship and at the World Cup in Canada.

In June, the Russian national football team will make its debut at the Confederations Cup, which will bring together the strongest teams from six continents, as well as world champions from Germany. This tournament will be the only official competition for the team of Stanislav Cherchesov this year.

FIFA Confederations Cup

Mascot of the 2018 World Cup Wolf Zabivaka and Main coach German national team Joachim Loew (Photo: Christian Charisius/DPA/Global Look Press)

Location: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi

Number of participants: 8 teams (Russia, Germany, Australia, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal and African champion)

The Confederations Cup is the tournament that precedes the World Cup. In addition to the Russian national team, the tournament will include: defending champions world Germans, as well as the winners of six continental tournaments - Portugal, Mexico, New Zealand, Chile, Australia and the champion of Africa.

On November 26, the draw for the Confederations Cup took place in Kazan. The Russian national team will meet the New Zealand team in the opening match in St. Petersburg on June 17, will play a match with Portugal in Moscow on June 21, and will conclude the group tournament with a game in Kazan against Mexico. Group B will feature the teams of Chile, Australia and Germany, as well as the African champion, who will be determined in February.

The tournament matches will be held at four stadiums in four cities of Russia. The games will take place in Moscow at the Otkritie Arena, in St. Petersburg at the new Krestovsky stadium, in Sochi at the Fisht Olympic stadium and at the Kazan Arena in the capital of Tatarstan. Each arena will host four matches. The game for third place will be held in Moscow, the final will be in St. Petersburg.

Ice Hockey World Championship

Location: Paris (France) and Cologne (Germany)

Number of participants: 16 teams (Russia, Belarus, Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada, USA, Slovenia and Italy)

For the third time in the history of the World Championships hockey will take place in two countries at once. Previously, the tournament was held in Sweden and Finland in 2012 and 2013. In addition, in 1930, three countries hosted World Cup matches: France, Austria and Germany.

16 teams will be divided into two groups of eight teams. The tournament is organized on a round-robin basis. The teams finishing in the first four places will advance to the playoffs, while the team in eighth place will be relegated to the first division of the 2018 World Cup.

At the group stage, the Russian team will play in Cologne with teams from Germany, Denmark, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, the USA and Sweden. Teams from Canada, Finland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belarus, Norway, France and Slovenia will compete in Paris. Two quarter-finals, both semi-finals, as well as the match for third place and the final will be held in Cologne.

Biathlon World Championships

Location: Hochfilzen (Austria)

Medal sets: 11

At the Biathlon World Championships, 11 sets of medals will be competed - five each for men and women in the sprint, pursuit, mass start, individual race, relay and one set of medals in the mixed relay. According to tradition, the results of the races will also count towards the World Cup.

In March, at the 2016 World Cup in Holmenkollen, Norway, the Russian team for the first time in history did not win a single medal during the entire tournament. Previously worst result The Russian team had one medal at the World Championships in Anterselva, Italy in 1995. Then the only award for the team was brought by Pavel Muslimov, who lost in the sprint only to Patrice Bailly-Salin from France. At three previous tournaments - in the German Ruhpolding in 2012, the Czech Nove Mesto in 2013 and the Finnish Kontiolahti in 2015 - Russia won two medals each.

World Figure Skating Championships

Location: Helsinki (Finland)

Medal sets: 4

Championship peace will pass at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, where the KHL team Jokerit receives its guests. Russia will be represented at the tournament by two singles skaters, three singles skaters, three sports pairs and two dance duets.

The Russian team has the greatest chance of winning in the women's single skating, where 17-year-old Evgenia Medvedeva will defend her title. In pair skating, Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, who won the Grand Prix series final in Marseille in mid-December, will compete for victory.

Spring part of the Russian Football Championship

Photo: Dmitry Golubovich/Globallookpress.com

Time spending: beginning of March - end of May 2017

Number of participants: 16 teams (Spartak, Zenit, CSKA, Terek, Krasnodar, Amkar, Rostov, Ufa, Rubin, Lokomotiv, Anzhi, Krylia Sovetov, "Ural", "Orenburg", "Arsenal" and "Tom")

Spartak finished the autumn part of the Russian Championship in first place with a five-point lead over Zenit, which occupied second place. Bookmakers consider the chances of the nine-time Russian champions to receive their tenth title to be the most preferable. Spartak won its last trophy in 2003, winning the Russian Cup.

This season, the Moscow club won the first round of the championship for the first time in 16 years. In 15 matches, Spartak scored 37 points, repeating the club record for the most points in the first round in seasons with 16 teams. Spartak also scored 37 points in 2000, which resulted in them winning gold medals. Only Spartak-Alania Vladikavkaz and Zenit St. Petersburg performed stronger in the first round, having scored 39 points in 1995 and 2010, respectively.

Europa League playoffs

Photo: Zenit official website

Number of participants: 32 teams

At the stage of the 1/16 finals of the Europa League, three clubs will represent Russia. Zenit will play with the Belgian Anderlecht, Rostov with the Czech Sparta, Krasnodar with the Turkish Fenerbahce. Zenit will play the first match away, while Rostov and Krasnodar will begin their playoffs at home.

The first legs of the 1/16 finals of the Europa League will take place on February 16, the return matches on February 23. The draw for the 1/8 finals stage will take place on February 24. The final of the tournament will take place on May 24 at the Friends Arena in Stockholm. Bookmakers consider Manchester United to be the main favorite of the tournament.

World Championship athletics

Location: London, Great Britain)

Medal sets: 47

The 16th World Athletics Championships will be held at Olympic Stadium in London, which hosted the Olympic Games in 2012. The championship program includes competitions in 47 disciplines - 24 men's and 23 women's. The main star of the tournament promises to be the Jamaican runner Usain Bolt, who has 11 victories at the world championships and nine gold medals. Olympic medals. He will again be the favorite in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

Participation in the championship of the Russian team, disqualified by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) in November 2015, is unlikely. Especially after the publication of the second part of the report of the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) led by Richard McLaren. At the same time, it is possible for individual Russian track and field athletes to perform in London as independent athletes.

World Championship aquatic species sports

Photo: official Twitter of the World Aquatics Championships

Location: Budapest, Hungary)

Medal sets: 76

Last year, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) moved the 2017 World Aquatics Championships from Guadalajara to Budapest. The Mexican city failed to organize the tournament. The competition program includes a drawing of 76 sets of medals: in swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, open water swimming and high diving.

Traditionally, the Russian team hopes for the maximum number of gold medals in synchronized swimming. In this case, we are talking about nine awards of the highest standard. IN swimming pool Russian fans will count on medals from Yulia Efimova, who won two Olympic silvers in breaststroke in Rio de Janeiro, and current World Cup winner Vladimir Morozov.

Let's name five key ones

LONG AWAITED CHAMPIONS

May 17. Moscow. Tushino. "Spartak" - "Terek" - 3:0. Champion celebration of the red and white. Photo by Alexander FEDOROV, "SE"

The year of long-awaited champions - this is how 2017 will go down in history.

GENIUS USTYUGOV

At the beginning of the year, the skier went on a huge winning streak, during which he destroyed his opponents at the Tour de Ski stage race, and then won two gold and three silver medals at the World Championships in Lahti. Since Soviet times we have not had such a successful athlete in men's ski racing. At the same time, Sergei showed all the facets of his talents, achieving success in sprint and distance races, in “classics” and free style.

DOPING AS A REASON

Endless doping attacks on Russia by the end of the year resulted in a revision of the results in Sochi. A large group of our heroes of the 2014 Games were stripped of their medals on suspicion of manipulating doping tests, which caused a wave of indignation in the Russian sports community. We experienced even greater emotions at the moment when the IOC banned Russia from competing at the 2018 Olympics under its own flag for “systematic violations.” At the same time, there is hope that these punishments are the last and in the foreseeable future it will still be possible to stop the flow of doping accusations with political overtones.

The most important sporting events of 2017 will be the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, the Ice Hockey World Championships in France and Germany and the Biathlon World Championships in Austria.

The highest-rated sports competitions—the final tournaments of the World and European Football Championships and the Olympic Games—are traditionally held in even-numbered years. Nevertheless, many important tournaments will also take place in 2017, including in Russia.

The Biathlon World Championships will be held in Hochfilzen, Austria, in February. The Russian team will try to rehabilitate itself after its failure at the world championship in 2016, where for the first time in history it did not win a single medal.

The World Hockey Championships will take place in Paris and Cologne in May. In this sport, Russians also did not achieve their goals in 2016. Oleg Znarok's team lost at the semi-final stage both at the home World Championship and at the World Cup in Canada.

In June, the Russian national football team will make its debut at the Confederations Cup, which will bring together the strongest teams from six continents, as well as world champions from Germany. This tournament will be the only official competition for the team of Stanislav Cherchesov this year.

FIFA Confederations Cup

2018 World Cup mascot Wolf Zabivaka and head coach of the German national team Joachim Loew (Photo: Christian Charisius/DPA/Global Look Press)

Location: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi

Number of participants: 8 teams (Russia, Germany, Australia, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal and African champion)

The Confederations Cup is the tournament that precedes the World Cup. In addition to the Russian team, the tournament will be attended by the current world champions, the Germans, as well as the winners of six continental tournaments - Portugal, Mexico, New Zealand, Chile, Australia and the African champion.

On November 26, the draw for the Confederations Cup took place in Kazan. The Russian national team will meet the New Zealand team in the opening match in St. Petersburg on June 17, will play a match with Portugal in Moscow on June 21, and will conclude the group tournament with a game in Kazan against Mexico. Group B will feature the teams of Chile, Australia and Germany, as well as the African champion, who will be determined in February.

The tournament matches will be held at four stadiums in four cities of Russia. The games will take place in Moscow at the Otkritie Arena, in St. Petersburg at the new Krestovsky stadium, in Sochi at the Fisht Olympic stadium and at the Kazan Arena in the capital of Tatarstan. Each arena will host four matches. The game for third place will be held in Moscow, the final will be in St. Petersburg.

Ice Hockey World Championship

Location: Paris (France) and Cologne (Germany)

Number of participants: 16 teams (Russia, Belarus, Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada, USA, Slovenia and Italy)

For the third time in history, the World Hockey Championship will be held in two countries at once. Previously, the tournament was held in Sweden and Finland in 2012 and 2013. In addition, in 1930, three countries hosted World Cup matches: France, Austria and Germany.

16 teams will be divided into two groups of eight teams. The tournament is organized on a round-robin basis. The teams finishing in the first four places will advance to the playoffs, while the team in eighth place will be relegated to the first division of the 2018 World Cup.

At the group stage, the Russian team will play in Cologne with teams from Germany, Denmark, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, the USA and Sweden. Teams from Canada, Finland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belarus, Norway, France and Slovenia will compete in Paris. Two quarter-finals, both semi-finals, as well as the match for third place and the final will be held in Cologne.

Biathlon World Championships

Location: Hochfilzen (Austria)

Medal sets: 11

At the Biathlon World Championships, 11 sets of medals will be played out - five each for men and women in the sprint, pursuit, mass start, individual race, relay and one set of medals in the mixed relay. According to tradition, the results of the races will also count towards the World Cup.

In March, at the 2016 World Cup in Holmenkollen, Norway, the Russian team for the first time in history did not win a single medal during the entire tournament. Previously, the worst result of the Russian team was one medal at the World Championships in Anterselva, Italy in 1995. Then the only award for the team was brought by Pavel Muslimov, who lost in the sprint only to Patrice Bailly-Salin from France. At three previous tournaments - in the German Ruhpolding in 2012, the Czech Nove Mesto in 2013 and the Finnish Kontiolahti in 2015 - Russia won two medals each.

World Figure Skating Championships

Location: Helsinki (Finland)

Medal sets: 4

The World Championship will take place at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, where the KHL team Jokerit will host its guests. Russia will be represented at the tournament by two singles skaters, three singles skaters, three sports pairs and two dance duets.

The Russian team has the best chance of winning in women's singles skating, where 17-year-old Evgenia Medvedeva will defend her title. In pair skating, Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, who won the Grand Prix series final in Marseille in mid-December, will compete for victory.

Spring part of the Russian Football Championship

Photo: Dmitry Golubovich/Globallookpress.com

Time spending: beginning of March - end of May 2017

Number of participants: 16 teams (Spartak, Zenit, CSKA, Terek, Krasnodar, Amkar, Rostov, Ufa, Rubin, Lokomotiv, Anzhi, Krylia Sovetov, "Ural", "Orenburg", "Arsenal" and "Tom")

Spartak finished the autumn part of the Russian Championship in first place with a five-point lead over Zenit, which occupied second place. Bookmakers consider the chances of the nine-time Russian champions to receive their tenth title to be the most preferable. Spartak won its last trophy in 2003, winning the Russian Cup.

This season, the Moscow club won the first round of the championship for the first time in 16 years. In 15 matches, Spartak scored 37 points, repeating the club record for the most points in the first round in seasons with 16 teams. Spartak also scored 37 points in 2000, which resulted in them winning gold medals. Only Spartak-Alania Vladikavkaz and Zenit St. Petersburg performed stronger in the first round, having scored 39 points in 1995 and 2010, respectively.

Europa League playoffs

Photo: Zenit official website

Number of participants: 32 teams

At the stage of the 1/16 finals of the Europa League, three clubs will represent Russia. Zenit will play with the Belgian Anderlecht, Rostov with the Czech Sparta, Krasnodar with the Turkish Fenerbahce. Zenit will play the first match away, while Rostov and Krasnodar will begin their playoffs at home.

The first legs of the 1/16 finals of the Europa League will take place on February 16, the return matches on February 23. The draw for the 1/8 finals stage will take place on February 24. The final of the tournament will take place on May 24 at the Friends Arena in Stockholm. Bookmakers consider Manchester United to be the main favorite of the tournament.

World Athletics Championships

Location: London, Great Britain)

Medal sets: 47

The 16th World Athletics Championships will be held at the Olympic Stadium in London, which hosted the Olympic Games in 2012. The championship program includes competitions in 47 disciplines - 24 men's and 23 women's. The main star of the tournament promises to be the Jamaican runner Usain Bolt, who has 11 victories at the world championships and nine Olympic gold medals. He will again be the favorite in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

Participation in the championship of the Russian team, disqualified by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) in November 2015, is unlikely. Especially after the publication of the second part of the report of the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) led by Richard McLaren. At the same time, it is possible for individual Russian track and field athletes to perform in London as independent athletes.

World Aquatics Championships

Photo: official Twitter of the World Aquatics Championships

Location: Budapest, Hungary)

Medal sets: 76

Last year, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) moved the 2017 World Aquatics Championships from Guadalajara to Budapest. The Mexican city failed to organize the tournament. The competition program includes the drawing of 76 sets of medals: in swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, open water swimming and high diving.

Traditionally, the Russian team hopes for the maximum number of gold medals in synchronized swimming. In this case, we are talking about nine awards of the highest standard. In the swimming pool, Russian fans will be counting on medals from Yulia Efimova, who won two Olympic silvers in breaststroke in Rio de Janeiro, and current World Cup winner Vladimir Morozov.

2017 will be extremely rich in many significant sporting events, who will not leave us from his first to his last day.

January

Traditionally on start of the new year Tennis fans will enjoy an unofficial team tournament Hopman Cup, which this time will do without the Ukrainian team. The first matches will take place on the first of January, which from the new season

Co January 2 to 14 South America will host one of the most prestigious rally marathons "Dakar", which will last just under two weeks. Cool

January 5-6 will take place in Königssee, Germany European Championship luge . This competition is supposed to be a dress rehearsal for the Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships, which were moved to Germany from Sochi, Russia.

Men's starts in the middle of the month World Handball Championship, on which Ukrainian national team couldn't get through, letting me go ahead Latvia in your qualifying group.

WITH January 14 to February 5 main event will take place football tournament on the African continent - African Cup of Nations. Gabon will host it in 2017.

WITH January 16 to 29 Melbourne will host the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the season - Australian Open , - where they will defend their titles and .

January 25-29 will take place in Czech Ostrava European Figure Skating Championships.

In addition, three stages will be held in January Biathlon World Cup: in German Oberhof(January 5-8), in German Ruhpolding(January 11-15) and in Italian Antholz(January 19-22). Convenient schedule of all stages of the World Cup

February

The beginning of February will traditionally feature the main event in the American professional sports- the season finale in American football, better known as Super Bowl. This year this event will be hot Houston in the state of Texas.

WITH 8 to 19 February in Austrian Hochfilzen will pass biathlon world championship, which is the main start of the season for many biathletes.

WITH February 6-19 Swiss St. Moritz will accept World Alpine Ski Championships.

February 7 one of the main European finals will take place hockey season. The two strongest teams of the main tournament are Champions League– will determine the strongest in a personal meeting. So far: Frölunda, Friburg, Växjö and Sparta.

WITH February 10 to March 5 Iran's capital Tehran will host women's championship world chess. At the end of 2016, Ukrainian Anna Muzychuk has already celebrated victory at the world championship in rapid chess in the disciplines and.

WITH February 22 to March 5 The Finnish city of Lahti will host the World Championships skiing types sports Medals will be awarded in cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combination.

March

March 2-5 for the first time in history World Cup stage will be held in Pyeongchang, Korea, which .

March 3-5 will take place in Belgrade European Athletics Championships in room.

April 22-28 in the Kiev "Palace of Sports", where our team will challenge a ticket to elite division with teams Kazakhstan, South Korea , Poland, Austria And Hungary.

April 29 Vladimir Klichko will return to the ring in a title fight against the world champion heavyweight champion according to IBF Anthony Joshua. Duel

April 28-30 The basketball season will end with the Final Four. Champions League. On these same days will pass and "Final Four" Volleyball Champions League.

May 1-15 will take place men's Club World Volleyball Championship. Its location is still unknown.

5 May starts in Doha new stage athletics "Diamond League". Let us remind you that from the new season.

May 5-28 traditionally one of the most prestigious cycling races will take place “ Giro d'Italia.

May 15-27 in Russian Khanty-Mansiysk there will be a team world chess championship.

From May 29 to June 11, the second Grand Slam tournament will take place in Paris - Roland Garros. The title of champions will be defended there and

June

The final Champions League 2016/17 it will be quite late this year. The two strongest teams of the tournament will meet on June 3 at Cardiff.

June 11 The Ukrainian national football team will play another qualifying match for the 2018 World Cup, playing an away match against Finland.

On these same days - June 12-18- in Kyiv. The capital city will host the competition "Liko Arena".

June 16-25 women's Eurobasket, which will accept Czech. Let us remind you that the team Ukraine I overcame it very confidently qualifying stage,

WITH June 17 to July 2 The dress rehearsal for the future World Cup will take place in Russia – Confederations Cup, in which, in addition to the host of the tournament, the world champion and the current winners of all continental championships will also play.

July

In traditional numbers - July 3-16– the third Grand Slam tournament will also take place - Wimbledon. They will defend their titles on the courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

the 14 th of July starts in Bulgaria European Championships in kayaking and canoeing, which will last three days.

On the same day it will open in Hungary World Aquatics Championships, which will continue until July 30.

July 21–August 4 Azerbaijan will host European Shooting Championship.

August

August 5-13 one of the main athletics starts of the season will take place in London - the capital of Great Britain will host world championship"Queens of Sports"

8 August The new European season in football will officially open. The winners of the Champions League and Europa League will play each other UEFA Super Cup.

WITH August 19 to September 10 A cycling race will take place in Spain "Vuelta"- perhaps the most famous along with the Giro and Tour de France.

August 23-27 the Czech Republic will host the main event of the season for kayaking and canoeing - a month after the European Championships they will have to identify the strongest world championship.

WITH August 25 to September 3 will take place in Germany men's world boxing championship.

Exactly on these same days Poland will host European men's volleyball championship.

August 28 The last tennis tournament of the year starts grand slam – US Open. Will also defend their titles on the courts of New York.

WITH August 30 to September 3 will take place in Italy European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships.

August 31 starts men's Eurobasket final tournament, which will be hosted by Finland, Israel, Romania and Türkiye this year. The Ukrainian national team will also play at these competitions, which will take place in November.

September

September 2 within qualifying tournament For the 2018 World Cup, the Ukrainian national football team will host the Turkish team.

Three days later - September 5– Andrey Shevchenko’s team will play an away match against Iceland.

September 22 – October 1 Georgia and Azerbaijan will host a joint European Women's Volleyball Championship. Ukrainian national team at this tournament

Exactly at the same time, on the other side of the ocean - in the USA - will take place World Rowing Championships.

October

October 6 The Ukrainian national football team will play an away qualifying match for the 2018 World Cup against the team Kosovo.

Three days later - October 9– our football “squad” will hold the final qualifying match at the group stage, playing on their own field against the team Croatia.

October 22-29 The women's tennis season will end: Singapore will host Final WTA tournament, in which eight of the strongest tennis players at the end of the year will take part.

October 25 – November 5 will take place in the Greek city of Halkidiki European Team Chess Championship.

November

November 9-11 and 12-14 will pass playoff matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which will determine the last participants in the final stage of the tournament. It is possible that the Ukrainian national team may also play in these matches.

November 11-12 the best team will be determined in the most prestigious women's team tennis tournament – Federation Cup.

November 13-19 The men's tennis season will close. These days, London's O2 Arena will host Final ATP tournament, in which eight of the best tennis players on the planet will take part at the end of the year.

November 24-26 the decisive match will be played in the men's team championship world tennis Two best teams at the end of the year a new owner will be determined Davis Cup. The current holder of the trophy is the Argentina national team.

From November 28 to December 5 will be held in Anaheim, USA World Weightlifting Championships.

December 1 will take place 2018 FIFA World Cup final draw, which Russia must accept. The 32 teams that will secure spots for the World Cup will be divided into eight groups.

From 1 to 17 December Germany will host a women's World Handball Championship. will play against the Spanish team.

From 6 to 16 December will take place FIFA Club World Cup, in which the winners of the most prestigious club tournaments from different continents will take part. For the first time in a long time, the tournament will not take place in Japan, and in UAE.

December 13-17 will be held in Copenhagen European Short Course Swimming Championships.

December 26 starts youth championship world hockey, which will be held overseas for the second year in a row. This time it will be hosted by American cities Buffalo And Orchand.

Passed at four Russian cities- Sochi, Kazan, Moscow and St. Petersburg. Perhaps this was the last draw in the history of the tournament. At least in 2021, competitions with the participation of champions of their continents are not planned in Qatar. Well, what we saw in Russia in the summer deserves not a period, but an exclamation point.

For the first time at a tournament of this level, the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) system was used, and fans were able to see that video replays do not kill football at all, and if they slow it down, it is only for a short time. A minute's pause is a very reasonable price to pay so that the judges can understand the controversial episode in detail. There have definitely been fewer glaring errors, and since the new season VAR has been used in several leading championships. So the Confederations Cup became the first chapter in new era such a conservative sport as football.

From the point of view of the organization of the tournament, it seems that even the eternally dissatisfied English journalists had no complaints. Four luxurious new stadiums that were filled even at fights with not the most attractive signs. The average attendance at the matches was 39,269 spectators - FIFA honestly admitted that they did not even count on such high interest.

Well, the impressions of the fans themselves are most clearly evidenced by the large-scale marketing research that Nielsen conducted after the Confederations Cup among more than 10 thousand people who attended the matches. 98 percent of spectators said they enjoyed it, and 91 percent were going to buy tickets for the 2018 World Cup. Even more impressive figures are that 80 percent of foreign fans admitted that their opinion of Russia improved after their trip to the Confederations Cup. And 60 percent of foreign guests said the tournament exceeded their expectations. Now all that remains is to confirm this level next summer, at the World Championships.

Queen of Heights

Athlete Maria Lasitskene is our queen in the high jump sector. The athlete spent the past year brilliantly, winning all the tournaments in which she took part. Her unbeaten streak is 19 (!) victories in a row. She won her last on December 23 at the “Christmas starts” in Minsk (according to the sports calendar already in the new winter season), once again breaking the 2-meter mark.

Maria set world records both indoors and in the stadium (2.08 and 2.09, respectively) several times, but in all attempts she knocked down the bar. However, the athlete’s other achievements are also impressive. Lasitskene defended her world champion title, which she won before her marriage under the name Kuchina. In London, she showed a result of 2.03 and became the first Russian woman in history to win gold twice in the high jump at the World Championships. At the Diamond League, Masha also performed the brightest: she jumped 2.06, 13 cm ahead of her closest competitor.

Our strong point

Figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva collected all the titles on the ice for two years - world champion, European champion, winner of the Grand Prix final. She has earned the title of world star and favorite status Olympic Games. She jumped the most difficult cascades, set world records for the number of points and was considered invincible and invulnerable. But she ended up in a cast. Due to a leg injury, Zhenya was forced to withdraw from the Grand Prix final and the Russian Championship. Probably to fans of Russian figure skating one could start to panic. But not in this case. Firstly, Medvedeva has such a character that she is not used to giving up, and she definitely will not miss the main starts of the season. And secondly, Medvedeva’s coach prepared another excellent student - Alina Zagitova. She is only 15, but she became the brightest debutant of the adult season, winning the Grand Prix final and the Russian championship. Zhenya and Alina train together, but have never really competed with each other. It will be all the more interesting to watch their fight at the European Championships in January.

15-year-old Alina Zagitova flashed on the ice. The athlete has won the Grand Prix final and the Russian Championship. Photo: Alexander Demyanchuk / TASS

The best at the grid

Volleyball players have achieved great success both at the national team level and in international club competitions. Our national team With the new head coach Sergei Shlyapnikov, four years later she won the European Championship, held in Poland. In a dramatic finale, the German team was defeated - 3:2.

Kazan "Zenit" under the leadership of Vladimir Alekno achieved double success - in the spring they won the Champions League title for the third time in a row, and in December, on the sixth attempt, they finally won the Club World Championship, this time held in Poland.

The gala evening of the European Volleyball Confederation was organized for the first time in Moscow. Prize best player The same Mikhailov received the Old World award, Alekno was awarded as the best mentor on the continent.

In 2017 Russian athletes marked by bright victories at the largest international tournaments

At the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, a video replay system was tested for the first time. The result is obvious - there are fewer refereeing errors. Photo: Reuters

Wait for us in Korea

Russia is going to the Olympics. This is, perhaps, one of the main results of the past year, which was marked for our athletes by defending their good name and, alas, by an unequal fight with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which put unprecedented pressure on the International Olympic Committee, forcing him to impose strict restrictions on Russian athletes.

Russia's participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, was in question due to unsubstantiated accusations against our athletes. At the same time, WADA failed to implement the plan to completely exclude Russians from the Games. Representatives of our country will perform in Pyeongchang without Russian symbols on their uniforms and without the sounds of the national anthem at ceremonies, under the emblem “Olympic athletes from Russia.” But they will compete, and their nationality will still be officially established.