An extraordinary holiday in Jasmi Joensuu – one thing moved me in a special way: “It’s so genuine” | Sport

Jasmi Joensuu is one of Vantaa Hakunila’s most followed athletes. The sprinter also gets the most out of his home races.

It wasn’t hard to guess the most popular athlete in the Hakunila ski stadium’s stands and on the slopes on Friday at the Vantaa Ski Championships.

The local schoolchildren called out the number one skier of the Vantaa Ski Club Jasmi to Joensuu name and encouraged their favorites to become Finnish champions in a tight final race.

Joensuu had been enjoying the atmosphere of his home games since the morning. Greetings and well wishes rained down from all sides. When Joensuu crossed the finish line as the winner, it caused the announcers to get excited and numerous race officials to clap their hands together.

After the race in Joensuu, there were only exports, congratulators and huggers. Many wanted a group photo – and they got this too.

– It’s just wonderful that people notice and are interested. That’s why I want to ski here, Joensuu stated as he hurried towards Hakunila’s swimming hall, where 50 important supporters were waiting for him.

Joensuu, who currently lives in Rovaniemi, assured that the home competitions have not brought him extra pressure, rather the opposite. In Finland, he wants to show that he belongs to the brightest top of the country and offer tough opposition to others.

– When there are many supporters and others on the spot, it is more special. It’s really great that I was able to perform well in front of them, Joensuu said with a gold medal around his neck and a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

– However, they make this work possible. It’s great that they get to experience this too.

Hakunila’s renovated tracks are not very familiar to Joensuu, as he has mostly trained in the north. The home races also do not change his competition routines in any way.

What was unusual on Friday was the encouragement directed at Joensuu. It was more than normal, and it was the audience that Joensuu remembered best.

– Children’s screams. They screamed at the top of their lungs. It’s so genuine, Joensuu marveled.

Friday’s sprint Finnish championship was Joensuu’s second career championship. Two years ago, he was the overwhelming number one in the 10 km traditional race of the Imatra SM Games.

– Of course, the Finnish championship is always the Finnish championship. There aren’t that many gold medals, this is still the first in the sprint. You have to succeed at the Finnish level if you want to be successful at the world level, he told a group of journalists after the award ceremony.

On Saturday, Joensuu wants to offer the home crowd another reason to scream. He has signed up for a 20-kilometer traditional skiing competition.

On Sunday, however, Joensuu will no longer be seen in the pair sprint, because early on Monday the national team will fly to North America for the World Cup.

– Of course I would like to ski all the trips, but I have to make choices based on the conditions of some competitions, Joensuu stated.

When the reporters got what they wanted, Joensuu was able to continue his journey towards the swimming hall. However, the trip was interrupted once again quite soon, because a group of acquaintances and supporters wanted to congratulate their hero.

And Joensuu wasn’t in such a hurry that they wouldn’t have had time for another joint photo.

The Vantaa Skiing Championship continues on Saturday with the 20 km traditional skiing competition. The broadcast of the men’s competition starts at Areena at 10:40 a.m. and on TV2 at 11:25 a.m.

will follow the events throughout the weekend in this article.