Aino-Kaisa Saarinen’s firm promise after Finland’s great day: “This was an incredible lift” | Sport

According to Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Iivo Niskanen will ski for victory on Saturday.

LAHTI. The opening day of the Salpausselkä Games was fantastic for Finns. In the cross-country skiing pair sprint, both teams skied in front of a roaring home crowd in a group of three.

Less attention was paid to the opening sport of the Games, women’s ski jumping, where Jenny Rautionaho continued his strong performances this season, being fifth.

In terms of success, however, the skiers beat wild initial paces. Krista Pärmäkoski and Johanna Matintalo were second in the traditional pair relay, Iivo Niskanen and Lauri Vuorinen third parties. Expectations will only rise even more when the men’s and women’s 20 km time trial races in traditional skiing are held on Saturday.

Sports expert Aino-Kaisa Saarinen was in awe after the pair sprints.

– The ball started rolling in the right direction right away on Friday. This was an insane lift to this point. Yes, this is going to be a great weekend. I can promise that to everyone!

Iivo Niskanen in the winning battle

On the peak weekend, Saarinen means that Finland can double its number of cross-country podiums in Lahti tomorrow to four.

Kerttu Niskanen is Sweden’s clear number one favorite on the women’s side on Saturday Frida Karlsson alongside.

Iivo Niskanen’s condition has been a source of great doubt for a long time. For example, last weekend’s Kuopio Finnish Cup skis didn’t give a lot of answers as to where he is in relation to the international top.

However, according to Saarinen, based on the pair sprint, Niskanen is in good enough shape even to fight for victory.

– When we really started skiing in the last round, he had those fast feet. He said himself that he’s in trouble when we branch off in such terrain. Iivo has never been a branching machine.

– When we get to the intermediate start tomorrow and ski the climbs, he will be strong. You will probably have to take a few detours on top of the steep climbs, but mostly they will be done by skiing in turns. It is the strength of both Iivo and Kertu.

Pärmäkoski to the top places

Krista Pärmäkoski, who skied with Matintalo, showed signs of clear improvement at the Kuopio Suomen Cup. According to Saarinen, the same was noticeable on Friday as well.

– There was a good mood in Kuopio, but now there were better things to do. This was a preparatory training for him thinking about tomorrow, and it worked out great. I believe that Krista will do her best this season. It is possible to reach the top 5 places.

Saarinen also wants to remind you that both pairs sprint teams reached their maximum performance. For him, the two podium places came as a surprise.

Saarinen also praises the maintenance. Tactically, the Finnish skiers succeeded perfectly.

– When the Finns aren’t the fastest, it’s better to slow down on the climbs. Skiing from under the feet of others. I saw that there were differences on the climbs. The athletes were really high, which is why there were also falls. Of course, the weather was also difficult, Saarinen adds.