An anniversary was celebrated on January 4th, which really does not flatter Finnish ski jumping. At that time, exactly ten years had passed Anssi Koivuranta for the only victory in the Ski Jumping World Cup.
He celebrated first place in the one-lap race in Innsbruck. At the same time, ten years have passed since the Finnish male ski jumper’s previous victory and podium place in the World Cup.
Finnish men’s ski jumping has been in deep trouble for a long time. There were already difficult times ten years ago, but since then the challenges have only doubled.
Koivuranta is not excited about the title of the previous Finnish competition winner.
– When I was involved, I thought it couldn’t get any weaker than this. However, the result level has also decreased since then. It’s a shame, because it’s a great Finnish sport with strong traditions, Koivuranta regrets to Urheilu.
A ten-year break from a personal men’s podium place says everything about the state of Finnish ski jumping in recent years. The rankings of the second round were tight even in this hill week.
The Finns’ best individual place in this season’s World Cup is 16th. In total points, the best Finn is only in 29th place.
The concern about the future of the sport in Finland is not unwarranted.
– It is followed with fear, whether the species is completely disappearing from our country, Koivuranta glooms.
Watching the race is not exciting
Koivuranta says he doesn’t schedule his life according to ski jumping competitions. He only watches the race if he happens to be in front of the TV.
In the World Cup, he reached the podium at his best Jussi Hautamäki said a few years ago that he would rather watch formula racing than ski jumping on TV.
It is even more difficult to attract new young enthusiasts to hill jumping. When even the former top jumpers are not enthusiastic about following the games, how would the sport be sold to the younger generations?
Koivuranta admits that the success of the Finns has a significant impact on whether he watches the games or not.
– I would certainly follow in a completely different way if there was success. I identify with the normal bench athlete. Finns are not sports-crazy people, but success-crazy people, Koivuranta admits and also refers to himself.
The hobby demands a lot from parents
Koivuranta is the father of two small children. He sees that the current society and lifestyle do not serve ski jumping.
At the grassroots level, Finnish ski jumping is based on a lot of grassroots activities. Hill schools are run by the children’s parents.
– It is much easier to take a child to an activity that you can just drop him into. Everything is taken care of there, while you have time in between to take care of your own affairs.
Parents’ appreciation of their own time is growing. It is therefore much easier to take them to a guided hobby activity, while in ski jumping the presence of fathers or mothers has been an important part of many success stories.
– I remember my father with gratitude. We went to the jumping hill, the first two hours were spent renovating the hill and then we got to have fun. That’s how the evening went. Father consecrated that time for me.
– Today, there are few parents with that attitude. Practicing the sport requires a lot from parents. If a child absolutely wants to go jumping, the parent is unlikely to take the attitude of taking the boy or girl to try such a hobby. It’s easier to take to footy and ladle training, where there are also familiar friends.
Success was automatic
Originally known as a combined athlete, Koivuranta is in many ways the last Mohicans of Finnish ski jumping and combined.
In addition to the most recent victory in ski jumping, he is the previous overall winner of the Combined World Cup. Koivuranta won the crystal ball distributed to the winner of that competition 15 years ago.
Koivuranta, who was in good shape at the time, achieved seven race victories and 15 podium places in that season. The following year, he switched to combined ski jumping.
Koivuranta competed in the combined world cup for the first time when he was only 15 years old in the 2004–2005 season. The debut was particularly memorable, as it left the three-time Olympic champion, Sampa Lajunen for the last of his career.
Already in the next season, Koivuranta reached the podium.
The teenage Koivuranta was able to join an ideal environment. I remember the Olympics in Salt Lake City, where the Finnish combined athletes won three gold and one silver.
They were teammates and mentors Hannu Manninen and Jaakko Tallus successful people like Manninen won the overall World Cup competition in 2004–2007.
The essential thing for success is not to think too much. Koivuranta lived in this kind of world of thought 15 years ago.
– I had grown up in such an environment that success is automation. When you just start doing it, success will come. The national team had so many successful athletes, prize medalists and overall cup success. The self-confidence to do was so strong that there was no room for any doubts.
“That playbook wouldn’t work anymore”
Koivuranta’s success in the combined was based on hard hill skills. Similarly, Hannu Manninen managed at the same time with his ferocious skiing speed.
The current combined has changed a lot since 15 years ago. Today’s superstars Johannes Lamparter and Jarl-Magnus Riiber dominate the sport on the hill, but they also have a really strong capacity for skiing.
According to Anssi Koivuranta, the Koivuranta of its best days would probably not succeed in the current combined one
– That playbook wouldn’t work anymore. Should be clearly smoother.
However, Koivuranta was once an athlete who was able to make the most of his strength. That’s an appreciable point.
– It was clear that everything would be extracted from the hill. Skiing is trained to the point that it is sufficient, but not so that it eats my own canine teeth.