This season, Eduard Hallberg took the World Youth Championship silver in the giant slalom. In the World Championships for adults, the same sport ended in suspension.
Sakari Lund,
Maija Kautto
One of Finland’s young skiers at the Alpine Skiing World Championships in France is a 19-year-old from Sipo Eduard Hallberg. Hallberg is for the first time in the adult competition.
Hallberg made headlines in January by taking silver in the giant slalom at the World Junior Championships in St. Anton, Austria. The medal was Finland’s first in the World Junior Alpine Skiing since 2018.
– It was one big goal for this season, to count hard in those games. Got a medal, I’m very satisfied. The aim is at the next Olympics, Hallberg said in an interview with Urheilu.
Alpine skiing was the whole family’s hobby in the Hallberg family, and Eduard also got excited about the sport at a very young age.
– I wish I had been 2 years old when I put on skis for the first time. I cried when I had to leave the slope, Hallberg said.
Sipoolainen has applied for calculus lessons in Norway, the successful country of these World Championships. After elementary school, Hallberg, who speaks Swedish as his mother tongue, went to Oppdalen alpine high school in Norway.
– Finnish high school would also have been an option, but Norway was a good option. People put everything on the line there. There are good conditions and slopes.
At the World Championships, Hallberg did not make it to the finish line in the opening run of the giant slalom. Finland’s second representative, experienced Samu Torsti in turn, counted out in the second count.
The goals have not been reached
The goal of Finland’s seven-person team for the World Championships was three places in the top 16. Before the weekend’s slaloms, there haven’t been any of them.
Expectations were met Elian Lehto, who has flashed in the World Cup. At the World Championships, Lehto, 22, was 22nd in the super-g and 25th in the plunge. He was disappointed with his performance.
The Finns’ rankings have been as follows:
Men’s alpine combined: 21. Jaakko Tapanainen, Elian Lehto interrupted
Men’s super-g: 22. Elian Lehto, 36. Jaakko Tapanainen
Men’s Skydiving: 25. Elian Lehto, 36. Jaakko Tapanainen
Men’s giant slalom: Samu Torsti and Eduard Hallberg interrupted
Women’s giant slalom: 30. Erika Pykäläinen
Erika Pykäläinen counts on Saturday in the women’s slalom, and in the men’s slalom on Sunday, Eduard Hallberg and Jesper Pohjolainen.
SATURDAY 18.2.
10.55 Alpine Skiing World Cup, women’s slalom, 1st round
14.25 Alpine Skiing WC, women’s slalom, 2nd round
SUN 19.2.
10.55 Alpine Skiing WC, men’s slalom, 1st round
14.25 Alpine Skiing WC, men’s slalom, 2nd round