The broadcast of the sports studio starts at 12:15 on TV2 and Areena.
The broadcast of Puhe starts at 12:25.
at 12:30 combined, hill section HS100, women
at 15:15 combined, ski section 5 km, women
at 16:30 skiing, combined competition, men
at 18:45 ski jumping HS100, men, qualifying
at 8 p.m. The best of the day
What are we talking about?
The sprint track of the opening distance of the World Championships in Planica was the talk of the town even before the race. After Thursday’s race, numerous falls and crashes made headlines.
The sprint track was different and special, and a lot happened and happened during the race. Sports expert Kalle Lassila stated that after the race, many must have wondered if it was even a sprint.
– How much was to do with luck and how much with skill. The conditions really emphasized the twistiness of the track and the difficulty in group skiing, Lassila said.
Sporten’s expert Matias Strandvallin according to him, it was surprising that many of the falls happened on the uphill.
– The crashes were perhaps predictable, but there were so many of them, and many where the skier bumped his legs. I think it was partly due to the fact that the organizers did not succeed in salting the track.
The tracks continue to meander even on normal journeys. Lassila reminds that at that time the circumstances are of great importance. If the slopes soften, the speeds will slow down and the descents will be safer. If the surface is icy, speeds increase and skill is emphasized in corners.
Who surprised?
According to both Kalle Lassila and Matias Strandvall, the biggest surprise of the opening competition was France Jules Chappaz, who won bronze in the sprint race. It was the 23-year-old skier’s first competitive start.
– However, you can find them in the French team Lucas Chanavat and Renaud Jay, and Chappaz was the toughest of them all. It was a surprise, Lassila said.
– It was known that the French can be tough, but it was not expected that Chappaz is the toughest of all. Richard Jouve (14th) was a disappointment, so it’s great that they found a new one right away, Strandvall stated.
This season, Chappaz has come to the attention of the skiing world. He was in the sprint final at the opening of the World Cup in Ruka and has flashed anyway, especially in the sprint.
– His technique with traditional skiing is a bit peculiar. It may not necessarily be the best eye candy for someone who has had such a Nordic traditional skiing upbringing, but it is extremely effective, Lassila estimates.
Who flopped?
There was no ambiguity about the flopper of the opening day, as both experts singled out Norway By Erik Valnes. Valnes won the sprint qualifying, but he crashed in the semi-final and ruined it in the process Ville Ahonen good skiing.
– He has had difficulties this season. He has not been able to get a result done, and not really get anything done, even though he has had the capacity to make a result all along, Lassila stated.
– Valnes literally flopped. He was too eager and clearly bumped from the bow to his own feet, Strandvall updated.
The fall of Valnes was quite peculiar. Lassila thought that Valnes’ ski took a strange direction in the slushy snow, he stepped on his own ski and it broke. Valnes then gave a ride on his ski.
– That’s where the work tool got a good ride. It is of course completely understandable in that situation, Lassila said.
What next?
On Friday, we will switch to normal trips. According to Kalle Lassila, now we can see both the normal distance courses and also how the Finns’ finishing has gone.
– The combined competition determines the entirety of these competitions, because both traditional and freestyle skiing are used in it, Lassila said.
The eyes of the Finns are especially focused Iivo Niskasen, who won bronze on this trip a year ago in Beijing. This season, however, the Finnish cannon has suffered from both the corona virus and a leg problem, and after competing a little, Niskanen’s true condition is a mystery.
– Will Iivo’s leg hold up after changing skis? That is the most interesting question, Strandvall stated.
Lassila reminds that Niskanen knows how to ski together, but once again the conditions affect the results a lot. Lassila believes that the majority of Finns wish for warm and slow weather, in which case the track would be soft.
– Then Iivo would be able to mature the others from the very bottom on every climb, Lassila said and reminded that Niskanen is not a pre-favorite for medals.
– But Iivo is such a great Finnish athlete and skier that he cannot be excluded from the medal evaluations. It wouldn’t be a national surprise, even if Iivo won the medals.