The illness of the Finnish star was also noticed in the Norwegian and Swedish media.
Finland’s medal wishes at the World Ski Championships starting this week in Trondheim are resting from the big Iivo Niskanen shoulders.
However Ilta-Sanomat Falun after the Falun World Cup weekend. Niskanen’s manager Miro Rousku also confirmed the illness to Sports.
Niskanen is sure that at least Saturday’s combination competition will be missed by him. He may not be able to take part in any journey.
Niskanen’s main trip 10 kilometers traditional will be skied on Tuesday next week.
– I’ve done my best throughout the season to stay healthy and I wouldn’t do anything differently. All in all, the last three seasons have been unimaginably bad and it is likely that I will have the first time in between, Niskanen regretted the IS.
An expert is annoyed
Sports Ski Expert Kalle Lassila According to such illness, so close to the h-moment, inevitably affects the skier’s impact.
– After all, the situation seems really bad. Quite rarely there is an infection that would be able to immediately be able to be in top condition and ready for the main goal of the season, says Lassila.
– He is certainly not the sharpest then. But the traditional tenth is such a journey that has so few skiers at that level as Iivo. So there are still opportunities, but they are bad.
Niskanen’s absence also influences Finland’s success in the men’s message and in the Parisprint.
– Even if he recovered, Iivo has to choose from which trips will go skiing. Fitness will certainly not take a terribly many starts if he is recovering to the race.
– If Iivo is completely out, it may mean that most of Finland’s entire medal expectation is out. This is an extreme blow to the Finnish team.
Niskanen has previously suffered from illness in his career, and they have also been this season. For example, the Finnish star left the Tour de Ski at the turn of the year.
According to Lassila, illness has been typical of Niskanen. When Niskanen has been able to pull a good and intact training season – like this season – winter illness has not taxed much.
– When there has been a lot of illness during the training season and the fitness factors have not been treated, winter illnesses have meant a lost game.
Rose to headlines
Niskanen’s illness has also been noticed elsewhere.
-The Norwegian threater became ill before the World Cup-received an influenza as a gift, Norwegian broadcasting company NRK.
VG writethat the neck was considered the best candidate to break the Norwegian superiority during the World Cup ski trips.
– Can’t be true! title in turn Dagbladet, which also reached the Norwegian World Cup crew Harald Östberg Amundsen to comment.
Amundsen hopes that Niskanen will heal soon, but at the same time suspects Niskanen’s statements.
“Niskanen is rarely 100 % honest,” Amundsen claimed.
For example, at the beginning of the season, Niskanen missed Ruka’s Finnish Cup illness, but won the following weekend in the Ruka World Cup.
Niskanen’s illness was also the first news of the Swedish Broadcasting Company On SVT’s sports pages. Niskanen said he had received the flu after the Falun World Cup in Sweden as a “gift”. He won a 10 -kilometer traditional race in Falun.
– A gift from Sweden, also In the story of Aftonbladet Niskanen’s statement was raised.