Ilkka Herola dominated the combined GP races in the summer, but the World Cup races have gone smoothly. Ruka was again quite wet for him and the results were according to it, in Lillehammer he missed the skiing sections due to upper respiratory symptoms.
Despite the weak start, Urheilu’s expert Petter Kukkonen has not agreed to be concerned.
– I can’t really be worried about Ilka. I’ve known him for so long and seen how his season usually goes, Kukkonen smiled.
The athlete himself is also on the same lines. Ruka is known as a competition place where you have to be in really good jumping condition, and Herola hasn’t really gotten to you with the big hill. And when the jumping identity has been lost from time to time, things from the spirit world have also come along.
– In a way, I’m somehow used to the fact that the beginning of the season is challenging for me. Ruka is the most difficult of these World Cup places for me and I haven’t had any success there. When it’s the first place, there’s a bit of a test of self-confidence, Herola stated.
From Friday’s race in Ramsau, Herola got a decent confidence boost again, because the sixth place showed that she is on the right track and the flu is no longer a problem.
Herola has been jumping all week at his basic level, and he was warmed above all by the fact that he didn’t need any miraculous jump to get a good starting position for the skiing section.
However, skiing fitness was an enigma for Herola. Skipping the ski sections of the Lillehammer Games was the right decision. Although he didn’t have to spend many days recovering, he had to start training calmly.
After Ruka, Herola was only able to do one opening exercise and he only had time to do the first strength training at the beginning of this week. The situation was not optimal, because usually Herola’s body requires either regular competition or harder intensity exercises to function.
No unlimited hitting yet
In Friday’s race, Herola had to start the skiing section with quite a bit of risk, because the gap with the hard skiers was reasonably big.
– Yes, it was a suicidal start. I had to open really violently and when I got to the group, they started to pull really hard. The third round was quite quiet and at that point it seemed difficult, Herola admitted.
– It was positive to notice that by lightening up and whistling one lap, I was able to handle it in the last lap with my own group. It shows that the basics work. I was able to recover from a small mid-death during the race.
In Kukkonen’s opinion, it was noticeable from Herola’s skiing that his condition is not yet what it should be.
– Ilkka always wobbles from one side of the track to the other and the skiing looks a bit challenging, but now it looked exceptionally much like that, Kukkonen stated.
– He could clearly see that his body was not functioning in such a way that he could ski against the limiter. When Ilkka is at his best, he can hit without limits, recovers quickly and is generally the one who controls those hoses. Now he had to pee.
Herola’s season usually starts properly only in Ramsau, and this traditional town is one of his favorite places. Herola can be considered a true Ramsau konkar, because he has already competed there in the World Cup for the 11th season.
According to Kukkonen, Ramsau’s small hill throws the jumpers into the same heap, even if the technical differences between the athletes are big. This works for strong skiers like Herola.
– In general, the ski trail has not been hard enough, but the trail profile has been modified a little for the last few years. Since then it has suited me very well. The hill doesn’t cause big differences, so you can do a lot on that track. That’s why it’s currently one of my favorite places, Herola said.
Kukkonen is expecting award places already in January
Both Herola and Kukkonen are confident that the Kuopio native’s peak fitness, both on the hill and on the ski side, will not be found until after the New Year. The race in Ramsau restored the faith in achieving results and when Herola gets to train properly during the Christmas break, it is expected to show in the results lists as well.
– In a way, it feels like a stone fell from the heart. There is no longer any need to be uncertain about whether I am in the right direction. Now there is a feeling that things are okay, Herola said.
Although Herola took his best World Cup ranking of the season, it came with basic performance in Herola’s opinion. He assured that in both areas there is even better in the reserve.
The same was said by Petter Kukkonen, who saw a couple of things that could be improved in Herola’s jumping technique. In addition to this, in his opinion, Herola needs 2–3 starts to return to his own level.
In Kukkonen’s opinion, Herola’s basic level is such that he always fights for the top six placings and, if he succeeds, for the prize place.
– I think today showed that he is in good shape and will hit hard results on the table. I expect “podiums” already in January, but not yet tomorrow. In Otepää and from there on, we will see the old Ilkka, at least in terms of skiing condition, Kukkonen assured.