Alpine skiers have an extremely tough World Cup goal, but few possible successes – Kalle Palander: “Freezing stretching is required”

According to Urheilu’s expert Kalle Palanderi, the Finnish women’s team has flopped this season and the sports association’s goal for the Alpine Skiing World Championships is extremely tough.

The Alpine Skiing World Championships will be held in Meribel and Courchevel in France from 6 to 19. February. shows the competitions on TV2 and Areena. The first Finnish skiers will start their work on Tuesday, February 7, on the alpine combined. Elian Lehto and Jaakko Tapanainen are included. The broadcast on TV2 and Areena starts at 11:55.

Alpine skiing World Championships started today in France, Meribel and Courchevel. The goal for Finland’s seven-person team has been to finish in the top 16 three times. Sports expert Kalle Palander considers this an extremely hard goal.

– There, the new sport director Leskinen seems to have imposed a high level of demands on the athletes, Palander said, referring to Ski Sport Finland’s former sport director and current CEO Janne Leskisen.

– That’s right. In my opinion, you have to go with hard goals. When you know the sensitivity of alpine skiing and the surprising nature of the sport, especially in value competitions, then it is possible.

In the same breath, Palander reminded that a very inexperienced team is going to the games. Only Samu from Torsti, 31, can find experience and investments that fit within the goals. On the other hand, there are even more first-timers in adult competitions.

Finland’s best chances of reaching the goal, i.e. in the top 16, are in the team competition, where the top 16 countries can enter based on the ranking between the countries. At the moment, Finland is in 24th place, but it is very possible that not many countries ahead of Finland will participate in the team competition.

– Admittedly, in the first round, there will be quite a lot of resistance from there, Palander reminded.

– After that, Samu will need an absolutely freezing stretch to get into the top 15 twice. I don’t see anyone else who can do that, although it’s hard to imagine now. It is possible, and he knows it himself. On the best day, he can do it.

Two years ago, Torsti reached 15th place in the giant slalom at the World Championships in Cortina, but this season his best and only ranking has been 24th place in the World Cup.

“The women’s team has completely flopped”

On the women’s side, Finland is represented by those who scored in the European Cup this season Erika Pykäläinen21, and Riikka Honkanen24. Palander does not have high expectations for this duo.

– The women’s team has completely flopped this season. There have been terrible expectations there for many years. Of course, there have been injuries in the background and so on, but I don’t expect much from them. If one of them breaks into the top 20 in the slalom or giant slalom, that would be great.

According to Palander, there is a good mood on the men’s side and the young accountants have raised their shares. After many years, a medal was received at the Junior World Championships, when Eduard Hallberg took silver in the giant slalom, and Elian Lehto has been in the right place in the speed sports of the World Cup this season.

According to Palanderi, Lehto is the first Finnish calculator who has had “the job in his glove” for a long time.

– I have looked at him with admiration. The grove is in very good condition. He has had such a learning phase, because they have all been new places for him and the plunge requires a lot of time, Palander said.

– Courchevel is quite a new slope for everyone. That’s really the only advantage he has over super-g and dive. It must be a ghost day to get to 15, but to get to 20… Yes, it could be possible.