The joint lubrication experiment at the Tallinn World Cup did not go well with the International Ski Federation, says Maaret Pajunoja, who skied in the competition.
An interesting experiment was conducted at the Tallinn World Cup on Tuesday, when the teams had a common lubrication room. The guardians of the teams were also only given creams from the contract partner of the International Ski Federation. Fluoride creams were in the pan.
Competed in Tallinn Maaret Pajunoja however, tells Urheilu that the experiment with the international skiing federation did not go well.
– The preparation was not very good for FIS. The rules kept changing. At some point you could take three pairs and then two pairs. I wasn’t allowed to test on the day of the race, but I was able to soon, Pajunoja describes to Urheilu.
According to Pajunoja, at first the skis had to be tested on the day of the competition. The night before, however, it was said that the skis should no longer be tested on the day of the competition. However, I was informed later that the skis could be tested on the race day.
The two pairs of skis used in the competition had to be quarantined the previous afternoon. The Finnish team had time to test the skis the day before, but according to Pajunoja, some teams only intended to test on the day of the competition. They had exciting places for a while, until permission was given to test again.
– This did not affect us, but I would have liked this to be more equal, Pajunoja described.
Pajunoja, who skied to 41st place in the competition and was eliminated from the heats, reflected that the experiment had not necessarily been thought through to the end.
– It certainly could have caused additional stress for some. It mostly made me laugh. You just had to be prepared because you didn’t know what was coming, Pajunoja stated.
The reform is thought to make the competition more equal. Now the protocol goes so that on the day of the competition, the maintenance men clean all the skis after they are taken from the quarantine. Then the contract partner provides creams that are only allowed to be used by servicemen from different countries.
After that, the skiers got to test the skis.
Pajunoja thought, however, that in the spirit of equality it would be worth giving the skis to be oiled entirely by the race organizers. Now the teams’ own lubrication experts did the job.
– Now I’m not saying that skis were manipulated in Tallinn, but there is an opportunity to do so. If this were a longer-term practice, we should think a little more carefully about how to actually operate, Pajunoja says.
After all, lubrication still does not completely remove the differences. Lubrication manager of the Finnish national team Mika Venäläinen stated on Monday in Ilta-Sanomi, (you will switch to another service) that the ski’s profile and grinding are 80 percent important in freestyle skiing. The importance of hand patterning is more than 10 percent, and oiling just under 10 percent.
Pajunoja also reminds us of the importance of the fluoride ointment for the fairness of the competition.
– They didn’t put the best lubrication there. It may have increased the difference between the skis. Now the ski just meant. There are big differences between the skis and that is evened out with lubrication, Pajunoja said.
Pajunoja will participate in the Stadion Sprint event, which will be skied at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on Wednesday. Like last year, the exhibition race will also be skied with equal lubrication. The live broadcast of the event starts on TV2 and Areena at 18:55.