Elian Lehto on Thursday, in the Val Gardena World Cup diving race, scored a result that few could have expected and whose hardness not everyone necessarily understands. The only 22-year-old from Rovaniemi was 20th in the race and lost to the winner by only 0.8 seconds.
This is one of Finland’s all-time best positions in the Skydiving World Cup competition.
– Incredible feeling! Based on the training, there were quite good expectations that it could go well. The goal was top30, became top20. After all, it’s all going home, that’s all! Lehto said after the race.
Do you remember the last time a Finn had such a good dive in the World Cup?
– No idea! “Andy” (Andreas Romar) probably sometime in 2017. Would it be? Lehto guessed.
It came close, because in 2016 Romar finished 19th in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Romar, who had a great career, finished only five times better than Lehto. The best result of these came in 2012, when he was 14th in Bormio.
In Finnish alpine skiing, the men’s side has not been basking in World Cup points recently, unless Samu Torstia be taken into account. Torsti has been responsible for the points of Finnish men’s skiers for the last three seasons.
For Lehto, the race in Val Gardena was only the third in the World Cup. His debut race in Saalbach in 2018 ended in suspension and a year ago in Val Gardena he was 52nd. Even in the European Cup, his best ranking is 16th place from December’s super giant slalom in Santa Caterina.
– This shows that the right things have been done. The journey to the top of the world is still long, but let’s keep going. Why don’t you go there, the Suomi boy will rise!
Even though the Val Gardena ski slope had to be shortened, it didn’t bother Lehto. The Val Gardena race on Thursday was a race that replaced the canceled Beaver Creek, so Lehto will be able to race on the track again in the actual race on Saturday.
– That’s my favorite jogging track. There are big jumps and such. I love such things, Lehto beamed.
Finland does not have its own team focused on speed sports, so just like Andreas Romar in his time, Lehto has also sought coaching help from elsewhere. And that’s what he got from the very top of the world, Switzerland.
Lehto has been thrilled that he has been able to train with the Swiss European Cup team and the world champion of the fall by Franz Heinzer in Opi, but in Val Gardena he has made it to the first team. This has caused a little confusion in Lehto.
– The first breakfast was a bit like what I was Beat Feuzin and by Marco Odermatti with at the same table. I hadn’t thought that I would be anywhere but in the Finnish national team. But that’s not it, it’s really good to be here, Lehto laughed.
Odermatt, who won the giant slalom at the Beijing Olympics, finished second in the race, and Feuz, the Olympic champion in the fall, finished ninth.
In Lehto’s opinion, training with the Swiss has helped him “incredibly”, because the team has coaches, guardians and everything necessary.
The calculators have also received the Finn well, and Lehto thinks that it is good for the team to improve. He wants to thank all his supporters who have believed in him and also made it possible for him to move to the top team.
Andreas Romar once achieved his first jump World Cup points at the age of 21 and finished in the top ten at the World Championships four times. His best achievement was fourth place in the alpine combined at the World Championships in Schladming.
Young Lehto has enough potential for anything, but he himself keeps his feet firmly on the ground.
– The road to the top is very long, but we are going there. I have goals for the 2026 Milan Olympics. That it won’t be there at the latest.