Big national level skiing competitions were organized in Kuopio for the first time in 13 years. In the future, international competitions are not excluded either.
Joel Sippola,
Nina Old house
In 2011, the World Ski Championships were held in Kuopio, but after that no top-level national skiing competitions were held in Puijo for a long time.
This changed over the weekend, when the Finnish Cup skiing was organized in Kuopio. On Saturday, 12 km intermediate starts were skied, and on Sunday, long relays.
Sports expert Jussi Piirainen was in the mood for giving the Puijo Games.
– Without a doubt, the Finnish Cup and the World Championship could be organized here even more often. These have been here very rarely.
Piirainen likes the place’s versatile terrains.
– Yesterday, individual races were skied on good terrain. There was enough demandingness. The posts had easier terrain, which made the races really exciting.
– The stadium is good. It’s good to organize joint competitions and messages, Piirainen adds.
World Cup to Kuopio?
Chairman of the Puijo Ski Club Jari Pitkänen says that the interest aroused by the event was a positive surprise.
– The crowd exceeded expectations. We want to be in these patterns in the coming winters as well.
According to Pitkänen, there are many reasons why hard national level skiing competitions have not been held in Kuopio for some time. The ski club’s division has been renewed in the last few years.
Puijo has also once hosted the Nordic World Cup competitions. In cross-country skiing, points were competed for in 2001.
There have been more international competitions in pole vaulting and combined. Last joined in 2016.
Pitkänen does not rule out the idea of Kuopio organizing the World Cup again in the future.
– We are working with the city of Kuopio to develop these functions. We’re going slowly. Of course, the resources define. Probably sometimes much bigger competitions will be held, Pitkänen trusts.
Leader of the Finnish Cup competition series Hannu Koivusalo was satisfied with the presence of several stars and the audience.
– I don’t see any obstacle as to why we couldn’t organize tighter competitions here than once every 13 years.
Koivusalo has been involved in the fiduciary duties of the International Ski Federation FIS for ten years. He reminds that the World Cup competitions in Lahti and Ruka currently play a strong role for Finland.
– Of course (in the International Skiing Federation) patterns can change quite suddenly, so it is not impossible, Koivusalo refers to Kuopio’s possible hosting of the World Cup.