Minja Korhonen hit the podium and was devastated after a special day: “I wasn’t ready for this” | Sports in a nutshell

Finland Minja Korhonen17, notched his second career World Cup podium finish. He was third in the combined race in Ramsau.

In the competition, a five-kilometer joint start was first skied, and then the hill section was to be jumped on a normal hill. Due to the circumstances, an alternate race was introduced.

In the skiing section, Korhonen was fifth, and he was ahead of Norway, who finished first to Ida Marie Hagen was 58.4 seconds. Heta Hirvonen was 21st in the skiing section (+2.09.7) and Anna Kerko 28th (+2.45,8).

On the hill, Korhonen cut 86.5 meters. It was the eighth longest jump of the hill section and put the Finn in third place.

Ida Marie Hagen won the race with a difference of 8.3 points over Japan Haruka to Kasai and with a difference of 20.3 points to Korhose.

Kerko jumped 72.5 meters and was 25th in the final results. Hirvonen was disqualified on the hill section because of the suit.

– It feels great. I didn’t expect that we would use the reserve race today, Korhonen began in an interview with the International Ski Federation.

– I had a good pace in the skiing section. I was ready to jump, but then we started counting the points as well. When the decision was made to use the reserve race, our coach came to say “Minja, you were third!”. I thought, oh my god. I didn’t expect this. I wasn’t ready for this, the Finn happily surprised.

Korhonen made his breakthrough last season and grabbed his first World Cup podium place after finishing third in Ramsau.

Now came the second podium of his career in the World Cup – a year and five days after the first.

Cheer up

In the men’s race, a reserve race was also used on the hill section. Ilkka Herola was fourth. Norwegian Jarl Magnus Riiber took the win before his teammate Jens Lurås from Oftebro and Estonia Kristjan Ilves.

Herola jumped 89 meters from the normal hill on the hill section. It meant 27th place in the hill section. Riiber jumped the longest, 96 meters.

Oftebro was the best of the 10 km ski section. Herola was eighth in the skiing section, 32.2 seconds behind Oftebroho.

Wille Karhumaa was 21st in Friday’s race, Arttu Mäkiaho 34th, Herman Happonen 47’s and Jesse Pääkkönen 51:s.

All in all, Herola considered the day of the race to be special. He did not yet know the results when giving comments on the audio tape of the Ski Association, but he claimed that he was fourth.

– The skiing was quite good, but (Alexander) Skoglund’s the tear in the second round was surprising. I was a fool to follow him all alone. I was preparing to keep up the pace, but not quite like that.

– There was a knee-jerk, hasty scream that backfired. Not the most tactically successful. Final ranking ok. However, a difference was made backwards.

Herola had the best of the season, as she was also fourth in Ruka. The Finnish men have not yet reached the podium in this season’s combined event.

– I wasn’t very lucky this time, but still a balanced performance. A place like this with two basic performances, so it must be said that the second time this season is coming. Stick to the little one.

The head coach is relieved

United head coach Antti Kuisman according to Finns, the day was a “planned level-up” after the first two race weekends.

Kuisma thought the jumps of both the best Finnish men and women in the reserve competition were good.

– In skiing today, there were really difficult conditions and a difficult track. The cabins were in good condition, the maintenance team had done a top dune.

– Tactically very sensible skiing from Minja, the first 2.5 kilometers at leisure and the second lap at full speed.

The tactic worked, because according to the head coach, Korhonen was 15 seconds faster than the others on the latter half of the track. For many, the tactic was the opposite, and it didn’t work.

Kuisma was also excited about Heta Hirvonen’s run on the track, even though the rejection of the hill section because of the suit ruined her ranking.

On the other hand, in the men’s skiing section, Herola started as a worker as intended, but ran out of fuel.

– Then there was no longer a leg against the Norwegians. The Norwegians thanked and bowed when the work was done. A tactical plan that didn’t work out, but on the other hand it was a top ranking.