From Kamchatka to the Olympics: the biography of ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov
Nikita Filippov's Path is a story about how a boy from Kamchatka became one of the leaders of Russian ski mountaineering. From early childhood, he was passionate about mountains and sports, and went from his first ski starts to international podiums, becoming a multiple national champion and participant in the 2026 Olympic Games. His perseverance, love of nature and self-reliance allowed him not only to achieve personal success, but also to ensure Russia's historic debut in the new Olympic discipline. For more information, see the Izvestia article.
Nikita Filippov's childhood in Kamchatka and his first steps in sports
Nikita Filippov was born on November 22, 2002 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the family of Alexei and Inna Filippov. His father, the coach of the Russian national ski mountaineering team, accustomed his son to an active lifestyle from an early age.
Nikita started skiing for the first time at the age of two, started karate at the age of five, and joined biathlon at the age of eight. The athlete himself noted that the choice of biathlon was largely due to rivalry with a friend, although at first he did not like skiing.
At the same time, he regularly participated in cross-country skiing and volcano climbing. The Kamchatka nature gradually played a key role in the formation of his sports specialization.
After graduating from high school, Filippov entered the Kuban State University of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism, where he graduated with a degree in coaching.
How Nikita Filippov got into ski mountaineering and joined the Russian national team
Nikita Filippov started combining biathlon, cross-country skiing and ski mountaineering in 2014. In the same season, he made his international debut at the Kamchatka Race.
In 2017, coach Larisa Soboleva invited him to join the Russian national team to participate in the World Championship. After the training camps on Elbrus, Filippov finally focused on ski mountaineering.
According to him, the mountains on Elbrus made a strong impression: "It's very beautiful there, and there's such a sense of freedom — you can go anywhere, conquer the peaks," the athlete recalled.
By that time, funding for biathlon trips in Kamchatka was limited, while ski mountaineering opened up opportunities to participate in major international tournaments.
Filippov's first successes at the European and World Ski Mountaineering Championships
In 2018, Nikita Filippov took fourth place in the vertical race at the European Championships in Italy, losing the prize position by only 10 seconds. The athlete noted that this result demonstrated his competitiveness at the international level.
At the 2019 World Championships in Switzerland, Filippov finished ninth in the vertical race, losing about 45 seconds at the start due to a torn camus, but managed to regain positions along the course. This tournament also served as a qualifier for the Youth Olympic Games and reinforced his status as one of the promising young athletes in the discipline.
In 2020, ski mountaineering was included in the program of the Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne for the first time. Filippov reached the sprint final and finished fifth, but received a five-minute penalty for a lost stick and was classified sixth. Despite this, participation in the Olympics has become an important stage in the athlete's career.
In the period from 2019 to 2025, Nikita Filippov won the title of 23-time champion of Russia in ski mountaineering and skyrunning.
"If I go to the Russian start, then, to be honest, I don't think about the result. I don't expect to take second or third place at all, because I know that I will win," the athlete noted. This dominant position, however, deprived him of the experience of close contact wrestling, which was felt upon his return to the world stage.
In the domestic arena, Filippov quickly became the leader of the discipline. He became the master of sports of Russia, the athlete regularly won individual races, vertical races and stages of the Cup of Russia, often by a wide margin from his rivals.
Returning to the World Cup and competing for a ticket to the 2026 Olympics
After the 2022 European Championships, where Filippov took 27th place in the sprint, 25th in the vertical race and 20th in the individual, Russian athletes were banned from international tournaments.
For three years Nikita performed only at domestic competitions. The return to the world stage took place in 2025 after the admission of the Russians by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation.
At the second stage of the World Cup in Azerbaijan, he finished fourth in the sprint and 11th in the vertical race, which allowed him to enter the Olympic qualification. At the third stage in Switzerland, Filippov took fifth place in the sprint.
Neutral status and official invitation of the IOC to the Milan Games
In the fall of 2025, the paperwork for participation in international competitions was delayed, and the athlete missed the start of the season. In mid-December, he was given the neutral status required for performances under the auspices of the ISMF.
Soon the qualifying period ended, and Filippov confirmed that his points were enough to qualify for the 2026 Olympics. On December 19, the International Olympic Committee sent the athlete an official invitation to the Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, which he accepted.
In January 2026, Nikita Filippov won a bronze medal in the sprint at the World Cup in Courchevel, France, strengthening his position before the Olympics.
"My dream is to win the Olympics, and when I have a dream, nothing can stop it."… The main thing is that my family and friends support me, and I myself don't mind performing in a neutral status. Especially since everyone already knows where we're from," he said.
Nikita Filippov will compete at the 2026 Olympics on February 19.
Nikita Filippov's personal life and his goals in big-time sports
The athlete is not married and devotes almost all his time to training. In an interview, he talked about his desire to start a family in the future and noted that he would like children to play sports, but with the right of their own choice.
He participated in the RUSADA Ambassadors program, aimed at promoting the principles of clean sports, and cooperates with sports equipment and nutrition brands. His long-term goals include not only a successful performance at the Olympics, but also climbing Mount Everest without using oxygen tanks.
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