Four races, four wins. Iivo Niskanen’s superiority in the temporary starts of the traditional skiing method is unprecedented.
The World Ski Cup made its official debut in 1981-1982. For the first years, all competitions were held in the traditional way of skiing, until in the period 1985–1986 the free way of skiing was differentiated into its own progression style.
From the period 1981–1982 to the present day, a total of 150 intermediate starts with a distance of either 10 or 15 kilometers have been competed in traditional skiing at the World Cup and in the championships. Of these, the shorter distance was competed in the championships only in 1991-1999.
Since the 1999-2000 season, 15 kilometers have become a competitive race, with ten in the World Cup only in exceptional cases.
Of the 150 races, Norwegian ski legend has the most wins, 15 With Björn Dähli. Eight of his wins Dählie skied in 15 and seven in 10 kilometers. The Norwegians have corrected the victory a total of 54 times while traveling.
Behind the dahlias are the second most wins Iivo Niskasella, who got to celebrate first place at 15 kilometers for the tenth time in his career on Sunday. Two of these victories have come at the championships, the 2017 Lahti World Championships and the recent Beijing Olympics.
Dählie, for his part, won the 10-kilometer traditional break in the championship three times: the 1994 Lillehammer and 1998 Nagano Olympics, and the 1997 Trondheim World Championships.
Niskanen’s season in his own caste
Although Niskanen still lags behind Dählie in the absolute amount of wins on the shortest temporary trip, the superiority he presents this season is historic. Four races, four wins.
When 10 or 15 miles as a traditional break start have been raced at least twice during the season, no other skier has been able to win all the races of the season.
Only one skier, the Czech Republic, has achieved four victories during the same season Lukas Bauer. He dominated the trip in the 2007-2008 season, but one in five races ended with a German Axel Teichmannin to the party.
Like Niskanen, Dählie made four wins in 1997, but at the time the first place was split over two seasons.
It is not yet known when the next 15-kilometer break in traditional skiing will compete in the World Cup next time. Niskanen will probably be able to try his record for the fifth consecutive victory in the traditional interim start in Ruka on November 26th.
The time will be confirmed in the spring, when the board of the International Ski Federation Fis will confirm the competition calendar for next season at its meeting.