Is Ilkka Herola’s time at the top over? The sports studio showed raw data about the Finnish star | Sport

Finland’s combined star Ilkka Herola has fallen to her lowest place in eight years in the overall combined World Cup competition. Petter Kukkonen opened up about the background of Herola’s situation in Urheilustudio.

Is it Ilkka Herolan time at the top over? In Urheilustudio, we went over the situation of Finland’s number one star, even with a provocative question.

Herola’s overall cup ranking is 16th before the Schonach weekend. Herola has practically slipped to the weakest positions in eight years. When comparing the overall cup rankings, skiing rankings and ski jumping rankings, it can be seen that the ski jumping side has been Herola’s Achilles’ heel.

Last season, however, the skiing side languished. Herola was then able to rectify the situation with the best hill performances. However, hill performances have weakened again this season.

Sports expert Petter Kukkonen knows how to tell that with Herola, more has been invested in this season than the new coaching staff Antti Kuisman and Lauri Asikainen under.

– Ilkka has improved, but in the combined ski jumping has also progressed, Kukkonen estimates.

He thinks it is good that he has dared to change the training.

– Endurance training has clearly been reduced. Many skill exercises have been done in ski jumping. Physical training for ski jumping has been done. The system is messed up. Now it seems that the direction is not necessarily the right one. The results list does not like the change, Kukkonen states.

The consistent statistics underline the hardness of the prestigious medal

However, Herola has been a very consistent athlete in his World Cup career, which has lasted more than ten years. In the overall cup, Herola has been consistently ranked 7–10.

Finland’s star athlete has also reached the podium once a season on average. Is this his level?

– Ilkka is a foolproof athlete. Even if the head is in the armpit, skiing always goes. Ilkka is always somehow able to dig a certain kind of hill performance even with a bad feeling, says Kukkonen.

Kukkonen reminds that Herola has had the help of many hill coaches. Kimmo Savolainen, Jarkko Saapunki, Falko Krismayr and now Lauri Asikainen. The result is still the same.

– Of course, one can ask, has the athlete reached his potential? I hope not. Hopefully there will be a new angle, says Kukkonen.

According to the statistics, Herola’s World Cup silver at the 2021 World Championships in Oberstdorf was a big deal. That’s when Herola returned Finland to the World Cup medals in the combined after a 14-year break.

At that time, Petter Kukkonen was still the head coach of the combined national team. It was one of the finest moments of his coaching career.

– That prize medal was a tough thing. The best athletes in this sport have dozens of podium finishes in their careers. It increases the probability of succeeding in a single competition. Ilkka delivered a hard performance in Oberstdorf in his time, Kukkonen said.

Exception feature back?

Although Herola has already been around the World Cup for a decade, he is still only 28 years old. This season’s top names and those who reached the podium are from Norway Jörgen Gråbak is, for example, 32 years old. Germany is also the same age Manuel Faisst.

According to Kukkonen, Herola is certainly capable of individual good performances in the future, even if there is no longer a giant leap forward. According to the expert, everything is possible, even in the value competitions of the coming years.

Kukkonen believes that the coaching management will carefully consider whether to return to previous training methods with Herola.

– We have now dared to clearly change the training. Its direction has been seen. Skiing lacks Herola’s real striking ability. He has an extraordinary quality. Ilkka can do huge feats alone in skiing. Now it is exhausting, Kukkonen emphasizes.

Finally, it’s about the athlete’s enthusiasm and fire for a new ascent. Herola is known as an open-minded athlete who dares to take a stand on things outside of sports as well. Kukkonen, who has known Herola since he was ten, appreciates Herola’s output.

– Surely Ilkka is weighing how much he is ready to invest in elite sports. There are many other values ​​in life, but in elite sports you have to be ready to put everything into play. I believe that Ilka and the Finnish team can still find that when we head towards the prestigious games, Kukkonen says and refers to next year’s World Cup in Trondheim and the 2026 Olympic Games in Cortina-D’Ampezzo.