Krista Pärmäkoski, Joni Mäki and Lauri Vuorinen missed the finals in the Finnish Cup sprint. Urheilu’s expert Toni Roponen assesses the skiers’ situation a week before the start of the World Cup.
The second competition of the season of the Finnish Cup of Skiing in Taivalkoski offered surprises in the traditional skiing sprint even before the final stage.
Krista Pärmäkoski was fifth in the women’s first semi-final and without a place in the final. In the men’s first semi-final Joni Mäki and Lauri Vuorinen on the other hand, they finished third and fourth, and did not make it to the finals through the time comparison.
Mäki and Vuorinen were the best sprinters in Finland last season. Last winter, Mäki finished fourth in the free skiing sprint at the Beijing Olympics and second in the Falun World Cup sprint race in traditional skiing.
Vuorinen took the best ranking of his career last season by finishing fifth in the Lillehammer World Cup sprint.
The cross-country skiing world cup season starts in Kuusamo Ruka on Friday next week. Urheilu’s expert was impressed by the performance of Pärmäkoski, who is successful on normal trips Toni Roposen followed by a question mark.
Roponen says that he discussed coaching Pärmäkoski Matti Haaviston with after the competition.
– Matti said that Krista had complained of congestion, and that she didn’t have as strong of an erection as she expected. However, based on how Krista has been skiing since the beginning of the season, I would believe that there are no problems when it comes to Ruka, says Roponen.
Pärmäkoski himself said in an interview with Urheilu that, despite Saturday’s bumpy ride, he will go to Ruka’s World Cup opener with confidence.
Lauri Vuorinen’s situation is worrying
The World Cup season is knocking around the corner, but Lauri Vuorinen’s pace made Toni Roposen thoughtful.
– Lauri Vuori is in a really sticky situation at the moment. He was at the high camp in Val Senales and since then has complained of a bit of fatigue and it really showed in the skiing today. He is far from a good situation, says Roponen.
Roponen doesn’t think that Vuorinen’s situation will improve in a week, but that it could take several weeks to get hit.
– In the mountains, miracles must happen in the body during the next five days in order to be ready to ski hard in Ruka.
Joni Mäki, who opened his season, was not disappointed with his day, even though he was eliminated from the final.
– It didn’t seem so bad. Maybe I left the solution at the end unnecessarily, which was my own mistake. I drifted on worse tracks, so I didn’t slip that much, says Mäki.
In particular, Mäki’s flat push looked cheerful to Roposen.
– Joni Mäe had really good things to do with these two of our canine teeth today. I wouldn’t be too worried about him. I think he made more of a tactical mistake. I believe that he will be able to stretch in Ruka and even fight for a place in the final, says Roponen.
Olli Ahonen and Johanna Matintalo to victories
The brothers of Imatra Athletes Ollie and Ville Ahonen took a double win in the final. Olli Ahonen’s superiority impressed Ropose.
– Now the coach shouldn’t do anything special in the coming days. After all, you can bang with Ruka. Even though it was a Finnish Cup sprint, no one is superior by accident. Olli Aho has a chance to even reach the final with Ruka.
Olli Ahonen, 23, has not been part of the men’s A national team during the training season, but Roposen thinks it is clear that things will change.
– He will probably be promoted directly to the national team. He is definitely in our first choice at Ruka and in other World Cup sprints.
The number one in the women’s final was Johanna Matintalo, who started his competition season in Taivalkoski with victory. He defeated Katri Lylynperän at the end.
– I believe that Johanna Matintalo has a chance to succeed on her main trip at the World Championships. Today’s speed was still probably not international speed, because the national-level athletes kept up with the top speed so well, Roponen estimates.