Game of cents! Watch the fierce final battle for cross-country championship silver – Ossi Kekki pushed for a rare double championship on a demanding track

Ossi Kekki of Lahti Ahkera won the SM gold in both ten and four kilometers. Johanna Peiponen and Kristiina Mäki won the women’s championships.

Lahti Ahkeran Ossi Kekki ran in a spectacular way to become double champion in cross-country championships in Paloheinä, Helsinki. He continued his tenth championship with an overwhelming victory in the four kilometer race.

Kekki escaped HKV in good time Eero Salevalta and won the race by 20 seconds. Team-mate Hannu Granberg and HKV Panu Jantunen shared second place. To Tampere Samu Mikkonen came fourth in the extremely narrow final straight, and Saleva fell to 12th place.

– Surprisingly good, because the leg felt empty during training, Kekki said about his second race of the day.

– And it’s an incredibly great thing to win two championships. It’s great to add a name to that list.

Most recently, they have reached the cross-country double championship Jarkko Järvenpää in 2018 and Lewis Korir in the years 2012–2014.

Kekki already solved the competition on the way, although he didn’t actually plan it.

– In the lowlands, I got away from the others. I started pulling from it, Kekki said.

Kekki understood Raita

After the tenth race, Kekki was still wondering if he would participate in the four-kilometer race with a recovery time of a good four hours. Still, the second championship did not come as a real surprise.

– I do know that I am in good shape. And now there were sadly absentees in the four kilometer race, Kekki reminded, among other things, the steeplechase runner Raitanen’s top of absence.

Raitanen didn’t want to take a risk on Paloheinä’s demanding track, which had steep descents and sharp turns on an uneven surface.

– I understand well the absences, Kekki said.

– I still give full marks to the track master. It’s nice to run a race like this once in a while, but maybe not every year.

Peiponen and Mäki women’s champions

The women’s competitions developed into tight fights. Lukon of Lapland Johanna Peiponen left the Pudasjärvi Athletes’ mountain runner at ten Susanna Saapungin for silver by a second.

of Gamlakarleby IF Nina Chydenius finished third, more than a minute away from the top two.

Representing the Czech Republic in value competitions Kristina Mäki won the women’s four-kilometer race Ilona Mononen by two seconds. Suolahti Urhon Saija Seppa was third after Lahti Ahkera’s duo.

Paloheinä’s course with its steep descents and sharp bends was demanding, but it was praised by the winners.

– The route was challenging, but I had no problems. It was a decent cross-country run, Peiponen praised.

– I give full marks to the track master. It’s nice to run a race like this sometimes, but maybe not every year, Kekki said about the track.