According to Iivo Niskanen, the competition proceeded according to his plan. However, he wondered if it made sense to step up the pace with each lap on the hill.
Iivo Niskanen had to be disappointed in the 50-kilometer traditional skiing race at Holmenkollen in Oslo when he finished fourth. The Norwegian who made it to the front took a triple victory.
Niskanen was in the top five of the five skiers for the last few kilometers, but he was unable to keep up with the Norwegian pace at the end. The kingship won Martin Löwström Nyengetwho defeated Sjur Röthen 0.6 seconds apart. The third was Norway Didrik Tönseth. Niskanen was 11.1 seconds behind the winner.
– In the end, there were cramps in both stretchers. At one point, I was sure that this was going well, but I still couldn’t do what I hoped for in the end, Niskanen commented to Sport.
Niskanen started the race calmly and took advantage of the pees in the first rounds by staying behind a few top skiers. However, he momentarily rose to the top of the crew several times to get full points from the bonus point spot.
After the race, Niskanen wondered if it was tactically sensible to accelerate every lap on the hill.
– It was meant to be able to ripen others with the longest climb, but it was difficult when everyone was waiting for me to keep up. That trip was deactivated in many rounds and the group joined again, Niskanen stated.
The story continues after the video.
“I even acted a little”
Niskanen went to change his skis with the rest of the top team after the fourth lap. He struck right after the ski change and split the top group of about 20 skiers into a group of eight skiers.
– I could have saved more in my fifth round. The skiing felt good until then and the race went as I thought. There had to be no toughest of all the toughest men in the end in advance. In the end, when we dropped from the top down, I just couldn’t accomplish what I was thinking.
After a 36.2-kilometer bonus point, Niskanen was last in the top group when his skis slid uphill. Niskanen then stayed with the group and lowered the others with his slippery skis.
– It was a tactic when there were so few bands. I had made a pretty hard blow to the ascent of the fifth lap after the ski change, but I even acted a little to get others to pull and I got time to finish the namure trip. In the end, there were cramps in both stretchers, Niskanen regretted.
Reasonable total contribution
Head coach of the cross-country team Teemu Pasanen admitted after the competition that the result was a little disappointing for Niskanen.
– Of course, Iivo went to get that profit when it is missing here. His condition has been such that it was realistic and he was one of the biggest pre-favorites, but the competition is like that. Even a pre-favorite doesn’t always win and it’s the best in skiing, Pasanen comments.
According to Pasanen, the race proceeded tactically much as he had hoped. The warming of the weather was also known, although the differences between the skis were not big, according to Pasanen.
The royal journey from other Finns Perttu Hyvärinen was 19th (+3.37.30), Ville Ahonen 22: s (+4.07.0) Ristomatti Hakola 28: s (+5.50.8) and Lauri Lepistö 38: s (+6.40.5). Remi Lindholm suspended the competition due to back problems.
– Four men were in points and Iivo was fighting for victory all the time, but three men were better today. The total bet was quite reasonable, but not quite perfect, Pasanen said.
The Cross-Country Skiing World Cup season ends next weekend in Falun. Niskanen is third in the World Cup, although he has not participated in all World Cup competitions. Niskanen did not take part in the free skiing competition at Ruka, in addition to which he stopped in Lillehammer and skipped Davos due to health reasons.
– I have had good results in the competitions I have participated in. It might be about the flatness of the season, even though this didn’t become the crown that I was looking for. This was the worst race this year and I was fourth, so that way I have to be quite happy, Niskanen summed up his thoughts before the peak of the season.