Urheilu’s expert Petter Kukkonen admits that he didn’t think Minja Korhonen would improve so much compared to last season.
Minja Korhonen has, despite his young age, risen to the ranks of the women’s group. Sports expert Petter Kukkonen reminds that there have been few super talents like Korhonen in the history of Finnish sports.
Kukkonen compares Korho Sampa to Lajusenwho won the overall combined world cup competition at only 17 years old in 1997. After that, Lajunen achieved success at a very young age and ended his racing career at the age of 24.
– In Finland, there is often a thought that young people cannot make it. Must be the 25 year old. Sometimes there is just so much talent, the determination and drive to train, and the hunger for development, that the athlete just rises to the top at an early stage, Kukkonen states.
– You shouldn’t hold it back, but let it go. As long as it happens on their own terms, appropriately by going through development steps.
Luminosity and the fire of development
Kukkonen saw Korhonen’s fire for development and success a couple of summers ago when he worked as a camp coach for the combined athletes. According to him, Korhosen would have talent for many other sports as well, but the young athlete’s desire to develop, listen and absorb learning impressed Kukkone.
During the early season, Korhonen has shown that he is also a good example outside the competition tracks. He doesn’t flinch even in international interviews.
– Such brilliant athletes are needed. It then radiates to other places than just sports performance.
Korhonen, who attends sports high school, is part of a combined group training in Kuopio, where, according to Kukkonen, 30–35 athletes train daily Lasse Moilanen and Terttu Lapland under. In Kukkonen’s opinion, Korhonen is doing great pioneering work in this group.
– The sport is young and the tip is still narrow. It enables him to be able to challenge the top quite quickly. If he stays in shape and is allowed to develop, we can see a great career in the coming years.
Korhonen was sixth in the Lillehammer World Cup on Friday and improved his ranking by one place on Saturday. He missed the podium by only 10 seconds. In Kukkonen’s opinion, the difference is mostly marginal, which can be achieved, for example, with a better telemark descent on the hill section.
The upgrade confused even Kukkosen
Korhonen’s improvement from last season has been so great that Petter Kukkonen would not have believed in a similar step of development. He believes that the young athlete will be ready to challenge the Norwegian trio who celebrated today within a couple of years.
– Very consistent performances today and yesterday. Great performances on the hill and the overall level of skiing has improved by almost two minutes compared to last season. An absolutely insane step in development!
Of course, women’s combined with the dominant Gyda to Westvold Hansen in comparison, Korhose still has plenty of room for improvement in every area – jumping technique, power output and skiing endurance. In Kukkonen’s opinion, there are no magic tricks for that.
– If the physical fitness of the body is good, the level will rise little by little. And it looks like Minja has that kind of body. Where that upper limit goes, we don’t know.