Experts are worried about the harsh result of the Finnish women – the coach admitted directly: “This was the level of the team” | Sport

The Finnish women’s sticky performance on the ski slopes continued in Jällivaara in the World Cup relay. Women’s coach Ville Maunuksela admitted that even on Saturday night the team was supposed to go into the competition with an attacking tactic, but it changed during the night to a defensive tactic when Krista Pärmäkoski left the team.

Kerttu from Niskaka not seen in the team. Thus, the Finnish team started the competition without a single athlete who skied in the relay of last spring’s World Championships in Planica.

The result was harsh, as Finland was eighth in the race. It lost to the winner Sweden by more than five minutes and only Kazakhstan remained behind the team. Ahead of Finland were the second teams of both Sweden and Germany and the mixed team that skied under the International Ski Federation.

Sports experts Aino-Kaisa Saarinen and Ville Nousiainen were worried about the result.

– It is difficult in Finland at the moment. Our best skiers are either sick or their bodies are otherwise not in competitive shape. The young people are trying, but their level is not yet very high, even though they are doing their own good performances, Saarinen, commenting in Urheilu’s chat this weekend, wrote.

– It was obvious that our two best skiers were gone, but we should be able to do better with that group. It would have been nice if there had been a small-scale march there after last weekend, but the opposite happened, it got worse, Nousiainen, who commented in the commentary booth, summed up Urheilustudio.

Sweden also lacked skiers, but the team returned to winning form after a 14-year hiatus. The anchor of the winning team Moa Ilar stated in an interview with Urheilu that the level of the team is currently this.

– This was the level of our women’s team this weekend. We certainly hope that we can achieve better results in the coming weekends. No need to explain more than that, Maunuksela answered.

Where’s the problem? There are many explanations

Nousiainen reminded that the women’s national team has done very little together. In the middle of the training season, it is not necessarily completely clear where the athletes are going and correction movements cannot be done as well.

– When you see each other for the first time on the eve of the competition season and during the competition season, it is quite difficult to make corrections then. This can be blamed on the national team coaching, but at the same time it cannot be blamed. Getting in shape and the athlete’s basic physique is, however, in the hands of personal trainers, Nousiainen said.

Saarinen comments that it is difficult to change the situation by snapping your fingers, but they take some time.

– It would be nicer for all of us if Finland were successful. Now the situation is that the best are not in shape, at least not yet, and you can’t expect miracles from young people yet. The best were in the Finnish team. The ones we currently have, Saarinen wrote.

According to Maunuskela, there may not even be more repair shops, because according to him, women should in principle be in good shape.

– When it comes to individual sports, have we individuals had a bad mood, bad competition tactics in terms of speed distribution, or is there a challenge in terms of equipment and conditions? A ski performance consists of many pieces. Within a week, really big changes can happen in the list of results, Maunuksela reminded.

Maintenance should come up with something new

The head coach Teemu Pasanen already admitted after Saturday’s weak free games that Finland has not been successful as a whole, the equipment side has not found the right equipment for severe frosts and the maintenance has not yet completely caught up with you with fluoride-free creams.

– We are clearly behind others in that. These new creams and others, so there’s still a bit of work to be done here, so that we’re really good in all weathers, Pasanen said.

Skied the opening section on Sunday Jasmi Joensuu struggled with skis that were too tight. He said that he asked for a so-called nerve layer in his skis, which made the skis really feel like leather when going downhill.

– The reason why he asked for more traction may be because he is not quite sure of his own condition. Then we ask for a little more grip just to be sure, Saarinen commented.

Nousiainen reminded that the beginning of the season has been skied practically the whole time in the same weather, but the Finnish service has still not been in the top fight.

– Something new should be invented. We have been in almost the same conditions for a week and a half, and it has not been found. It can be a small thing. It will be a little milder, so lubrication, patterning and skis can turn in a completely different direction, he said.