According to Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Sunday’s skiing relays showed two problems – “A rare boring competition” | Sport

Extending women’s relay distances has led to an increase in differences, says Urheilu’s expert Aino-Kaisa Saarinen.

Urheilu’s expert did not receive Sunday’s skiing messages at the Oberhof World Cup Aino-Kaisa from Saari to get excited. Although, in his opinion, the Finnish teams managed to reach their level and the women’s team was third, it did not help.

– The women’s relay was an unusually boring competition. The differences were shockingly big. I don’t know if it was reasonable to make this type of solution that women also ski 7.5 kilometers, Saarinen said.

– The distance has been extended because the differences are growing and the level differences between the teams have become more visible.

The International Ski Federation extended the women’s relay distances from 5 kilometers to 7.5 kilometers in the second season. Sweden’s margin of victory over second-placed Germany was only 17.5 seconds in the women’s race, but in the last change it was more than a minute.

Finland, which came in third, lost to Sweden by more than two minutes.

Finland’s women reached the podium in the relay for the first time since winter 2021 and third place at the Lahti World Cup.

Norway, on the other hand, fell from the top by more than three and a half minutes, being fifth. The ranking is the cross-country team’s worst World Cup relay since 2006.

The men’s message was very different, as it ended in a massacre. Norway’s first team Johannes Hösflot Kläbo defeated the Italian first team Federico Pellegrino in 0.1 seconds. Finland’s number one team lost to the winner by two seconds.

– The men had company, and the interest remained, even though it was known that in the last 500 meters you have to be awake and on your feet.

In Saarinen’s opinion, all three Finnish teams skied well. In addition to the women’s third place, the men’s first team finished fifth and the second team ninth.

– Everyone skied at their level and the maintenance was successful. When we run out of anchors on the men’s side, even though we are in the game, the result is that.

The Oberhof course is not suitable for the World Cup of Skiing

In Saarinen’s opinion, Oberhof’s track is not suitable for the Cross-Country World Cup, because it has too short climbs and steep descents, so the bottom end usually always closes the bow.

– Oberhof’s course is designed for a completely different sport, biathlon. Cross-country skiing should have completely different types of tracks. Just like in Lillehammer, there are separate ski and biathlon courses.

The composition of the Finnish women’s relay team was missing today Kerttu Niskanen and also, for example, the United States Jessie Diggins and Norway Harald Östberg Amundsen left the messages unanswered.

Saarinen understands the skiers’ decisions, because the competition calendar has been made merciless.

– Those who are fighting for the overall cup victory, for example Diggins and Amundsen, have to be eliminated from somewhere. Not all distances can be skied, and then the messages are the first thing on the trigger, Saarinen stated.

– This is also a health issue. If the load becomes too great, you get sick more easily. I don’t see this as them not appreciating the message. You just have to make a choice. At some point, a limit will be reached.

Everything about the weekend’s winter sports events from Urheilu’s follow-up article.