Minja Korhonen, 16, who has impressed since the beginning of the season, has made a great impression on the combined Finnish legend.
16-year-old Minja Korhonen has been one of the most upbeat Finnish names in winter sports in the early season. The athlete born in 2007 made history in December by reaching the top three in the combined World Cup as the first Finnish woman ever.
Korhonen has taken a big leap from last season to the top of the world. Sports expert Petter Kukkonen has been compared to super talent by a Finnish legend Sampa to Lajusen.
Lajunen once won the overall World Cup race when he was only 17 years old.
– Such brilliant athletes are needed. It then radiates to other places than just sports performance, Kukkonen praised Korho a month ago.
I remember my teenage years
Teenager Korhonen has impressed another legend of the Finnish combined sport, Hannu Manninen. He won the overall World Cup competition in 2004–2007.
Only Germany has achieved more victories in the overall race than him Eric Frenzel (2013–2017). For a long time, Manninen was also the athlete with the most competition wins (48). Only Norway has passed him in this statistic Jarl Magnus Riiber.
Manninen also once had a reputation as a teenage star himself. He was only 17 years old when he achieved his first World Cup podium finish.
Korhonen’s performance brings back memories in Mannese. He was in the first World Cup as a first-year student. Korhonen is currently in his first year of high school.
– I participated in the Lillehammer Olympics when I was 15 years old. Samppa also joined very early on. When you follow Minja’s accomplishments, success and her very positive public image, you somehow remember your own times. Made it to the world cup competitions and prestigious competitions, Manninen recalls.
A wild success
Manninen considers Korhonen’s future very bright. The young talent has expressed his biggest dream to make it to the Olympics.
Women’s combined is not part of the Olympics yet. It may be included in the 2030 five-ring races at the earliest.
– As long as we have enough enthusiasm and can manage to practice, we will be able to enjoy Minja’s performances for many more years, Manninen believes.
In addition to his wild World Cup success, Manninen achieved one individual World Cup gold (2007) and two world championships in the team competition (1999 & 2007).
In 2002, in Salt Lake City, he was about to reach Lajusen, Jaakko Tallus mixed Jari Mantila with Olympic team gold. Lajunen swept the prize table in the same games with his three gold medals.
Lajunen shrugged 20 years ago by ending his successful career at only 24 years old.