In cross-country skiing at the World Championships in Planica, the attention turns not only to the athletes but also to the guardians. With successful ski testing and lubrication, you can turn the small margins to your advantage.
The maintenance manager, on the other hand, holds all the strings in his hands. In the Finnish national team, pesti has been in charge since the 2021–2022 season Mika Venäläinen.
– We try to help the athletes to achieve the result that their condition requires, Venäläinen summarizes the role of maintenance.
Before the Russians, it was on sticks Martin Norrgardwho inherited the wash From Aki Huka. He served as maintenance manager 2018–2020. Even before that, Hukka worked in the maintenance team in Finland.
Hukka admits that the years were difficult. He was interested in the challenge of the task.
– My wife was more worried about me at home. Although the mental load was heavy, the maintenance team stayed behind the chief. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without that support. However, I slept well that night.
Hukka left the position of his own accord in the spring of 2020. He had an option for the next two seasons.
After it was washed, several years of flaking came off.
– After the last World Cup weekend, I was at a complete standstill. When I got home, I slept for the first two weeks, Hukka recalls.
“Doesn’t suffer to fail”
During his time as a maintenance manager, Hukka was caught in the eye of the storm many times. According to him, what makes the maintenance manager’s job difficult is that he is solely responsible for everything.
The maintenance manager is the one who goes in front of the media after a failed race to tell why the equipment didn’t work.
– Even though the decisions are made by the group, the maintenance manager bears the responsibility. It goes in front of the media and explains if there is something to explain.
– You don’t suffer from failure here. Athletes need to be in good shape, they need to find the best possible skis and the best possible lubrication. That’s the secret to success.
Hukka returned to the maintenance team this season after a break of a couple of years. This season, he has been in some World Cup competitions, besides which he is also involved in Planica.
– It’s nice to be a line maintenance man, Hukka acknowledges.
Last season, he worked in Beijing in the maintenance of the Finnish Paralympic team.
– There’s a different kind of power. However, I had already been involved for six years.
Lost opportunities
As a maintenance manager, Hukka experienced one of the most valuable competitions. At the 2019 World Championships in Seefeld, Finland was without a medal for a long time. In the combined race Iivo Niskanen the medal seam ran into a crash at the soldering point of the traditional section. Niskanen was finally fourth.
Finland was close to a medal in a few other trips as well. Pressure also increased on the maintenance side.
The torment ended in the traditional 15-kilometer intermediate start race, where Niskanen won the bronze. The difference between good and bad performance can be extremely small.
– It was seen that we only got one medal. If Iivo had not fallen in the skiathlon, it would have become a medal. If Cross mat Hakola wouldn’t have crashed in the final of the pair sprint, it would have become a medal. Provided Krista Pärmäkoski had skied two seconds faster, there would have been a medal, Hukka enumerates.
– When we got the medal, it was proof that we had opportunities. The worst part of those games would have been to come without a medal. The media doesn’t remember the bad luck that individual games have had.
Hukka appreciated the fact that the athletes came to give feedback face to face.
– The purpose is that the feedback comes directly. Let’s be honest on both sides. No one ever lubricates badly on purpose.
In Planica, Finland’s biggest hopes for success rest on Iivo Niskanen and Kerttu Niskanen on the shoulders. The Russian is responsible for keeping the siblings’ skis and Vesa Mäkiranta from sliding.
A Russian does not feel that the job of a maintenance manager is outside of personal maintenance.
– I feel that there cannot be a manager who does not participate in testing and a little lubrication.
A different kind of snow
The Russian believes that Planica’s tracks favor the Finnish team. Compared to the previous games of the season, the situation is still different, because there is natural snow in Planica.
In Planica, the situation is somewhat similar to four years ago in Seefeld. The races are held in hard plus weather.
However, Hukka finds one difference.
– Maybe the snow is a bit different than in Seefeld. Snow was a problem there. Not all athletes had skis for that weather. I believe that these will be good races for us.