Krista Pärmäkoski fought for the podium – Therese Johaug wins the women’s kilometers by a margin of 1.2 seconds

Therese Johaug has won the women ‘s 10 km race in the World Cross – Country Skiing Championships in Salpausselä. The competition was skied in the traditional way as a temporary start, as in the Olympics.

In Beijing, Johaug won Olympic gold on that trip 0.4 seconds ahead Kerttu Niska. Krista Pärmäkoski took his place in the Olympic bronze with a difference of 0.1 second in Russia Natalia to Nepryaeva.

Now the order went new behind the tip. Neprjajeva, who had become very strong at the end, put the Norwegian tight, but Johaug’s final bet was enough. In the end, Johaug defeated Nepryaeva by 1.2 seconds.

Pärmäkoski was third (+16.5) and Niskanen fourth (+37.7).

Johaug held the top spot from the start. Already 1.5 kilometers Johaug led four seconds ahead of Sweden Frida Karlssonia and Nepryaeva. Niskanen was fifth in 1.5 kilometers and Pärmäkoski ninth. About other Finns Jasmi Joensuu was 14th in 1.5 kilometers and Katri Lylynperä 15: s.

In the middle of the race, ie 5 kilometers, Johaug led Neprjajeva by 9.6 seconds. Pärmäkoski was third after 20.5 seconds and Niskanen was fourth (+22.5).

Pärmäkoski skied the uphill race. In the latter five kilometers, he was able to catch the tip, while Niskanen began to get tired. In 8.7 kilometers, Johaug took 5.5 seconds to Nepryaeva, 17.6 seconds to Pärmäkoski and 35.7 seconds to Niskane.

In the finish, Johaug’s difference to Nepryaeva was thus only 1.2 seconds. Pärmäkoski and Niskanen came at the same pace as the rest of the Norwegian.

Other Finns who have reached World Cup points Anne Kyllönen was 14th (+1.25.9), Jasmi Joensuu was 17th (+1.34.7), Johanna Matintalo 22nd (+1.47.5) and Katri Lylynperä 24th (+1.49.5).

For Pärmäkoski, the ranking in the top three is second in the World Cup this season. He was also third on the Tour de Sk in the 10 km traditional Val di Fiemme.

Pärmäkoski was very satisfied with his third place and, like yesterday, glowed at the audience who arrived in Lahti.

– It feels insanely good. If there was a good incentive yesterday, it was today. The arm of the track was just full of gangs. Quite insane, awesome to have an audience here.

Pärmäkoski said that he knew already yesterday after the sprint that the mood was right.

– I had to control today. In training, I knew I had a good leg. Already yesterday the feeling was good, so I knew it was possible to ski on the podium today. All you had to do was grind and then at the end you hit.

Pärmäkoski had a better time interviewing when the awards ceremony was held in Lahti. Pärmäkoski said he was aiming for the next Holmenkollen Games.

Oslo on Holmenkollen will ski 30 kilometers for women on Saturday 5 March and 50 kilometers for men on Sunday. Trips are skied in the traditional way as a joint start.

– Heavy weather is sure to come, there are often water skiing there as well. You need to get enough fluid and energy during the race, but it seemed to work at the Olympics as well. Let’s go to fight.

At the Olympics, Pärmäkoski was tenth with a free distance of 30 kilometers.

– Now the aim is to maintain fitness, restorative training and let the body rest. I decided not to go to Drammen, Pärmäkoski said.

The sprints will be raced in Drammen before Holmenkollen on Thursday, March 3rd.

Instead, in Jasmi Joensuu’s goals, Drammen is marked with a thick marker. Joensuu, who crashed in the sprint stage on Saturday, now skied the best normal distance race of his career on Sunday, when he was 17th.

– I’m really happy to be able to gather myself from yesterday. Of course, you can’t ski in front of this crowd. Such a great encouragement was today, a big thank you to everyone who has come to the place, Joensuu glowed.

– The hunt for the final place will continue on Thursday. It is a big dream for this season, Joensuu announced.

Kerttu Niskanen also glorified the audience in Lahti and said that there were no opportunities for better today.

– Didn’t even remember how great it is to ski in front of such an audience. I tried to fight, but today there was simply no craze for the better. There were clearly three better ones today.

Niskanen has had enough of a rush after his trip to Beijing. A week ago, on Sunday, he skied bronze for 30 kilometers, after which the trip continued to Finland on Monday, to the folk festival in Vieremä on Tuesday and from there to the sprint event at the Olympic Stadium on Thursday.

– Perhaps I was a little afraid when I came to Lahti that I came now without training. Have only traveled from place to place. Has not had time to settle down. It could be seen from today’s skiing that there has been a shark.

– All the rest of the World Cup races are skiing, which is. Hopefully we will still be able to enjoy a similar atmosphere as here in Lahti, Niskanen said about his program for the rest of the season.