Toni Ketelä, who also stood on the World Cup sprint podium, has had a good time in Ruka in a different role. He has worked in the maintenance team of the Finnish national team.
Anu Karttunen,
Laura Arffman
18:41•Updated 18:42
The battle for the title of the world’s best maintenance team is fierce every winter, and the Finnish maintenance team has been very involved in this battle. Urheilu’s experts Toni Ropo and Kalle Lassilaa however, it is surprising that there are no former top skiers in the maintenance team of the Finnish national team.
– On international fields and in other national teams, it is very common that when the hard skiers stop, they move to the maintenance or coaching side and remain part of the team. It would be really important for this to happen in Finland as well, Kalle Lassila stated.
At the Ruka World Cup, the national team also has its own service. This maintenance team includes one former top skier, Toni Ketelä. Known as a sprinter, Ketelä ended his racing career in 2018 and has now returned to the service booth in Jeesama after a break of a couple of years.
– From love to sport. Last winter, skis were lubricated on the home side for local enthusiasts and the ski school, Ketelä said.
He believes that as a former national team skier, he would have a lot to contribute to the maintenance team, especially in testing. He himself would be interested in helping athletes, because skiing fitness is still available.
In Toni Roposen’s opinion, Finland has a great service team, but there could be a lot of work for the top skiers who have finished testing.
– For example, Toni Ketelä is such a strong-built person, and Finland has strong-built male sprinters. He gets the same feel under the skis as they do. A guy in bad shape doesn’t get that, Roponen said.
Lassila reminded that Ketelä’s experience in top skiing is still fresh in his memory, so he thinks it’s great that it can be used now.
– Toni still has clear experience and knowledge of what it really requires from skiing when you go at the top level, Lassila said.
– When you start as a ski maintenance man, you can do that work and learn the lubrication side at the same time. Of course, it also requires that there is interest. During his sports career, Toni already had Pakit on top of his miter and creams in order. Some skiers are not so interested in it.
The competition in maintenance teams is just as fierce as on the track, and according to experts, the teams must have a passion for winning.
– It’s really hard work, work under stress and pressure. A certain competitive spirit is always present, Roponen said.
– But at the same time maintenance is also team building. There should be different roles there too, Lassila stated.