The figure skating championships will be held in Rauma without last year’s champions Nella Pelko and Makar Suntsev. After the WC, Finland’s representatives for the EC will be named.
The Figure Skating Championship will be held in Rauma on the 14th–15th. december The competitions start on Saturday with short programs. TV2’s broadcast of ice dance rhythm dance and men’s short program starts at 14:25. The women’s short program competition can be followed from 17:15.
Represented Finland in the European Figure Skating Championships last year Emmi from Pelto will not be seen in the weekend’s WC and thus also in the EC in Tallinn at the end of January.
A year ago, Peltonen finished fourth in the WC, and therefore did not get a direct place in this year’s WC. He could have received a place in the WC in the first or second WC selection competition, but he did not participate in either.
According to the rules, therefore, Peltosen does not have the right to representation in the SC games.
Peltonen, 25, has suffered in his career from, among other things, an ankle injury, which was treated with surgery in early 2022. Peltonen has said that the rehabilitation has been a long process.
Peltonen did not respond to Urheilu’s interview request.
Urheilu’s expert Sara Honkavaara, what is known about Peltonen’s situation?
– No one really knows the real condition of the ankle except the athlete himself. However, Peltonen was supposed to come to the other qualifying competitions and secure a place in the WC, but he was prevented from doing so for personal reasons, says Honkavaara.
In the comparison of the season’s best points of Finnish skaters, Peltonen is only eighth. He competed in mid-November in Dortmund, Germany and scored a total of 141.81.
Based on that competition, Peltonen is far from his best level. In the 2020 European Championships, he reached fifth place with his record score of 181.79.
The statistical leader of the season is Janna Jyrkinenwhich has returned to Finland’s number one name after one more difficult season. He has skated at his best this season with 168.97 points.
Finland has two representative places for women’s single skating at the European Championships. They are filled based on the best performances of the season, i.e. by adding up the two best results of each skater.
In the list, athletes who have achieved the technical points required for the EC competition and have competitive performances in accordance with the selection criteria. Source: Finnish Figure Skating Association
Janna Jyrkinen has an 18-point lead Linnea to Cederso his EC ticket seems likely.
Nella Pelkonen had to withdraw from the SC competition on Friday because he is still recovering from the coronavirus disease. He would have defended the Finnish championship with Rauma.
Since Pelkonen is fourth in the comparison of the season’s best points, and does not participate in the WC, the federal board of the Figure Skating Association is unlikely to choose him as a European representative.
Honkavaara holds Linnea Cederin and Olivia Lizkon the competition for the second representative seat as very interesting. They both skate Virpi Horttana in training at Espoo Jäätaiturei.
– Ceder and Lisko are quite equal, for example, in their jumping repertoire and the technical side, which they show in their programs.
– That’s why it’s actually the condition of the day that decides. Of course, in light of the points, Ceder has the best starting point for the EC place, says Honkavaara.
22-year-old Ceder finished 12th in his EC debut five years ago. Since then, Ceder’s seasons have been uneventful and there have been no awards.
– Now there have been glimpses that Ceder is already at the level at which he skated at his best a few years ago. If he can repeat what he has already shown this season, we are on the right track. He has been in pretty steady shape, Honkavaara states.
Last year’s SM silver medalist, Olivia Lisko, 18, does not yet have experience in adult competitions.
Men side by side
The men’s competition at the weekend will determine whether Finland will be represented at the European Championships Makar Suntsev or Valtter Virtanenbecause there is only one place.
Like Pelkonen, Suntsev had to miss the SC competitions due to illness.
Virtanen, who is only a couple of points away from Suntsev in the comparison of the season’s best points, can therefore give evidence for the EC selection at the weekend.
In ice dancing, you don’t compete for European Championship places, but only for the Finnish championship. Juulia Turkkila–Matthias Versluis and Yuka Orihara–Juho Pirinen are competing in Rauma while preparing for the European Championships.
The SC competition also includes a pair skating pair of the value competition level Milania Väänänen–Filippo Clerici.