PLANICA. Still no medal for the Finnish ski team, when there are only three possible distances left: men’s relay, women’s 30 kilometers (p) and men’s 50 kilometers (p) with a joint start.
Sports expert Aino-Kaisa Saarinen knows from experience what it’s like at the Games, when the medal is not only seen and heard. This is what happened to the Finnish team at the Vancouver Olympics. We went to the Games with great expectations, because there had been quite a shower of medals at the World Championships in Liberec the previous year.
In Vancouver, the Finnish ski team’s first medal did not come until the women’s relay, right at the end of the Games.
– When that medal came, it was a tremendous relief. I had been afraid that if the medal didn’t come, we would have to walk in front of a group of journalists who would “shoot as a sieve”. It feels absolutely terrible to go there to explain and tell how we ended up fourth, Saarinen said.
– I almost couldn’t enjoy that medal when the fear and relief was so great.
Finally, Finland received two skiing medals from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, when in addition to the women’s relay team, Saarinen took bronze in the women’s final distance, the traditional 30 km.
The champions of Finland’s current World Cup team Kerttu Niskanen and Krista Pärmäkoski have both gone through many prestigious competitions and experienced pressure from both inside and outside the team. In the opinion of both of them, in the Finnish team, “the cap doesn’t tighten”, even though there have been no medals and there has been a good spirit in the team.
– Sometimes it just happens like this. I feel like I’ve never come to a qualifying race in such good shape, with the last distance to go and no medals in my pocket. But the fight is tough, some succeed in the upper deck, and the basic moves just aren’t enough. Those medals are not just sought after, Niskanen said.
According to Pärmäkoski, the relay always has a different charge, because then everyone wants to succeed for the team. Although there have been no medals, the team has been able to maintain a good feeling.
– But the truth is that if those medals came, the hotel would have a more cheerful and relaxed atmosphere, Pärmäkoski admitted.
Pärmäkoski: Slightly bitter taste
The women’s relay team offered a decent medal fight on Thursday, but had to settle for fourth place. In the end, the bronze medal was less than two seconds away.
However, the fourth place did not go to the Finnish relay team – Johanna MatintaloKerttu Niskanen, Eveliina Piippo and Krista Pärmäkoski – to be gloomy, because everyone could ski at their level. Especially when before the race, almost every skier had question marks about his current hitting ability.
For Johanna Matintalo, the performance of the opening leg was first and foremost a fightback win, as her fitness has been quite fluctuating. Eveliina Piippo also succeeded, even though she beat herself up in interviews. The resistance was too strong this time. He really gave his all on the track, as he needed a carry to leave the changing area.
Before the combined competition, Kerttu Niskanen scared Finnish skiing fans by falling and injuring her leg. However, in the second part of the message, he was seen going quite elegantly, even though the skier himself stated that his performance was a basic performance.
– It wasn’t anything special, when that vitonen is a pretty acidic trip. You can’t really feel good skiing in it at all. In your thirties, you have to endure that bad feeling for a lot longer, Niskanen said.
However, his demeanor radiated relaxation, which has been missing in recent days when the media has been asking about the condition of his legs.
Niskanen has won Olympic silver in the relay, as well as a couple of World Championship bronze medals. The fourth place is often bitter, but the experienced conker was able to turn the situation into a positive one.
– When you look at how our competitions have gone here, it was indeed a good performance as a team. I don’t think any of the four of us are disappointed. We really got to fight for a medal. It would have been a much worse feeling if we had been half a minute from the podium, now we were half a minute from victory, Niskanen said.
Pärmäkoski, who skied the anchor section, shared Niskanen’s thought, but admitted that he was disappointed, because the team was looking for a medal. He thought the team’s performance was good, because it was clearly the underdog and was able to ski without pressure.
Pärmäkoski had to ski Sweden Maja Dahlqvist against, which was the worst possible resistance for him. Pärmäkoski knew that he would have to settle the game on the way, because in the final stretch, Planica’s sprint bronze medalist would be too tough.
– The second, longer uphill section was “wassua”. I think it was better for Maja. If he had gone to the hoe, he would have been in more trouble. Maja clears the end so well and knows how to come tactically, Pärmäkoski said.
After the successful Olympics in Beijing – one gold, two silver and three bronze for Finland – the expectations for the Finnish skiing team have been high, even though the season’s World Cup results did not predict medal success.
– It would have been nice to win a medal today, but we came close. My skiing was clearly better than on Tuesday. It’s a good feeling that way, but a bit bitter after all, Pärmäkoski said.