Arsi Ruuskanen was also not satisfied with his skis in the combined race in Lillehammer.
Joel Sippola,
Riku Salminen
12:18•Updated 12:29
Last week in Ruka, who celebrated a victory in the traditional ten-kilometer split start Iivo Niskanen had to be disappointed on Sunday in Lillehammer. He was 13th in the 20 kilometer combined race.
Niskanen, who is in good shape, was strong in the traditional section. In the third lap, he started to pick up the pace properly, but it was difficult to get a gap. Right at the end of the traditional section, Niskanen slowed down and was satisfied with the pace of the others.
Freestyle skiing is notoriously more difficult for Niskanes. A few laps before the finish, he fell out of the big top group.
Niskanen didn’t like his skis at all during the free section.
– It wasn’t right.
With the traditional one, it still somehow worked in terms of equipment.
– Yes, it was skiing. After changing the ski, Puri sufficiently. I don’t know if it was due to the grinding, but for the first time this season I went to the hill properly.
Niskanen was visibly irritated.
– You can’t explain when you’re in 13th place. Now it went wrong, Niskanen said.
Ruuskanen is amazed
The race was again about the Norwegians. Harald Östberg Amundsen paced a quadruple win. Second Jan Thomas Jensenthe third Martin Löwström Nyenget and Simen Hegstad Krüger fourth.
The Norwegian front was broken by USA, who finished fifth Gus Schumacher and British Andrew Musgrave.
The difference between Niskanen and Amundsen was 37 seconds. Arsi Ruuskanen was the second best Finn, 20th, losing to the winner by 55 seconds.
Ruuskanen wasn’t satisfied with his skis either.
– There was no grip on the skis.
– I don’t know what it was. Tasuri felt good, but the climbs could not be progressed.
1. Harald Ö. Amundsen NOR 49.20,8 FF
2. Jan Thomas Jenssen NOR + 0.0 FF
3. Martin L. Nyenget NOR + 0.2
4. Simen Hegstad Krüger NOR + 0.5
5. Gus Schumacher USA + 0.8
6. Andrew Musgrave GBR + 1.7
7. Andreas Ree NOR + 2.2
8. Johannes H. Kläbo NOR + 9.4
9. Hugo Lapalus FRA + 15.6
10. Pål Golberg NOR + 21.7
13. Iivo Niskanen FIN + 37.5
20. Arsi Ruuskanen FIN + 55.7
36. Remi Lindholm FIN +2.20,9
50. Lauri Lepistö FIN +3.01,2
Maintenance admitted that it had failed
Finland’s maintenance admitted the failure, the head coach Teemu Pasanen.
– It didn’t work out today. Considering that, both fought well, Pasanen stated.
– There were big differences. Many had a sensitive grip and some didn’t like it at all. Iivo was able to fight as a good traditional skier with a slightly weaker ski. Vapaa was fine again, but Iivo had a weak ski.
According to Pasanen, the situation was made difficult by the fact that the weather changed a lot before the race.