The Finnish women’s team for Thursday’s WC relay in Planica has been published. The Finnish team is Johanna Matintalo, Kerttu Niskanen, Eveliina Piippo and Krista Pärmäkoski.
Before the relay selection, three skiers were considered clear in the team: Niska, Piippo and Pärmäkoske.
The skier of the opening leg was a question mark. The speculations included Johanna Matintalo, Jasmi Joensuu and Anne Kyllönen.
Matintalo is still enigmatic in its tone
Matintalo’s fitness has been a question mark after the slow World Cup sprint.
Matintalo was still in mysterious condition at the hotel of the Finnish team.
– We’ll see tomorrow. I hope it has gotten better. There are indications that it has gone in the right direction, Matintalo said.
Kerttu Niskanen’s leg has been talked about after the injury in the warm-up of the combined competition. Niskanen describes the condition of his leg as very good. According to his own words, he is ready to fight in the relay.
In the case of Niskanen, it has been speculated how hard he plans to go to break away from the others in the second leg.
– The journey is only five kilometers. I try to give my all on the track. Nothing is left for the last kilometer, Niskanen described.
A big dream on the barrel – Pärmäkoski confident in its striking ability
On Tuesday, Eveliina Piippo was 16th in the free 10 km skiing race. Piippo was not particularly happy with the result, because the harsh weather had to serve him. Now Piippo says that five kilometers will probably go better than ten kilometers.
Piippo has a bright dream for a message.
– Kerttu will be replaced in the 45-second lead, Piippo pointedly stated.
Krista Pärmäkoski’s World Championships have not yet gone as expected, even according to the athlete herself. After Tuesday’s normal distance and 17th place, he was hoping for a miracle to return to the relay and the 30 km time trial.
– There seem to be pretty hard string cannons as anchors. I still trust that it will go just fine, when we come with acid through a long distance, Pärmäkoski described.
Two years ago, Finland memorably won the bronze medal at the World Championships with a great move from Pärmäkoski in the last leg.
Finland has been a familiar sight with medals in the women’s relay. Finnish women have won the relay medal six times in the last eight World Ski Championships.
Message champion Pärmäkoski says that Finland now has an iron-clad team with the potential to succeed.
– Sweden and Norway are the two hardest to predict. Germany and the USA are challenging, Matintalo, on the other hand, described the opening leg before the team moved on to the traditional pizza dinner before the relay.
Sundling out of the Swedish team – Johaug believes in his own
Sweden has dominated the World Cup. They put a tough team on the line. Ebba Andersson, Frida Karlsson, Emma Ribom and Maja Dahlqvist.
Winner of the world championship in sprint and pair sprint at the World Championships in Planica Jonna Sundling therefore did not fit in the team. Dahqvist went ahead of Sundling.
Swedish coach Stefan Thomson told SVT (you switch to another service)that the decision was difficult.
– We watched the distance race (10 kilometers on freestyle skiing). Sundling himself was a little hesitant about his condition on the distance trip. We had counted on him to be a stronger standard distance race. On his best days, he would have been a medal candidate. In retrospect, his body didn’t feel as it should, Thomson opened up.
Expert at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation NRK Fredik Aukland rolled his eyes at the Swedes’ solution.
– I wouldn’t have believed it! Auckland updated on NRK’s website (you will switch to another service).
According to Aukland, Sundling should have been ahead of Ribom and Dahqlvist in relay selections.
– Sundling has been successful in these games. It would be perfectly natural for Sundling to have been on the last leg or at least one leg.
The Norwegian team is Tiril Udnes Weng, Astrid Öyre Slind, Ingvild Flugstad Östberg and Anne Kjersti Kalvå.
A former top skier who currently works as an expert at NRK Therese Johaug believes in Norway’s chances to win against Sweden. Johaug has enough credit for the attacking ability of Anne Kjersti Kalvå, who won silver in the Norwegian World Cup in the pair sprint, as an anchor.
– A message is a message. We showed it last time at the World Championships in Oberstdorf. Sweden was the favorite, but in the end we were the winners, Johaug said and referred to Sweden’s skiing fiasco in the World Cup relay two years ago.
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen goes through the seams of Finland’s success
Sports expert Aino-Kaisa Saarinen believes that Sweden’s Emma Ribom and Norway’s Tiril Udnes Weng will start right away in the opening leg.
– They will certainly pull hard from the beginning. Then there is the United States and Germany. Johanna has a place to attack that and get a good place for herself, says Saarinen.
Solutions have been seen in the second part of the messages. Even now, the countries have big stars with them in the latter part of the traditional. Kerttu Nisaknen receives Ebba Andersson, Astrid Öyre Slindi, Rosie Brennan’s and by Katharina Hennig.
– All the hard ones are on the move. I believe that Kerttu is a really tough fighter. However, Kerttu is in very good condition. Just attack Andersson there and pull. Then we are in the game, says Saarinen.
According to Saarinen, Finland must be in a good position before the last two free legs.
– According to the other top teams, Eveliina has to stay in the third leg. The finishing touches remain on the crystal. We hope that there will be the same enthusiasm and happiness as two years ago, says Saarinen.
The women’s relay will be skied on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.