According to Marigold captain Aino Palosuo, complete success is required for the World Cup gold.
Finnish figure skating winners Helsinki Rockettes, Marigold IceUnity (MIU) and Team Unique are fighting for spots in the spring World Championships. The top teams have kept Finland in the prize positions in international competitions for several years, and winning the championship is a realistic goal of the trio this season as well.
– It is an extremely good thing that there are more tough teams from Finland. It’s kicking us, Captain of the Rockettes Eveliina Tikkanen states.
– The fact that good teams come from Finland moves us all forward, MIU captain Aino Palosuo confirm.
Even if the nationality is the same, in a competitive situation, only the performance of one’s own team is of interest.
– Let’s focus strongly on our own performance, because that’s the only thing we can really influence, Team Unique’s captain Tuulia Niittuinperä confirm.
– Because the competition is so fierce, in a competitive situation you only focus on your own team. We appreciate each other’s hard work, when you know yourself what it takes to be successful, Palosuo clarifies.
Some influences may be taken from other teams.
– We do like to follow what other teams are doing, and through that we also seek inspiration for new development, Rockettes Vice-Captain Roosa Latvala tells.
The latest World Cup gold from 2018
In February, the Finnish championship will be decided, but in the spring season, eyes will also be directed to international competitions, the culmination of which will be seen in April at the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. The last world championship for the Finnish team came in 2018, when Marigold won gold.
– Of course, it’s already a tough feat to get to the World Championships, but being successful there requires the best performance in exactly the right place, Palosuo explains.
Palosuo says that his team paid attention to the neatness of basic skating and individual skill.
– Our team has all the ingredients for the championship, so the preparation is done in much the same way as for previous games, Rockettes’ Tikkanen says.
The Rockettes have added psychological training to their everyday life, where the focus is especially on maintaining courage and enjoyment in competitive performances.
Lumineers exude confidence
Last week, the free program competition of the Synchro Tour, a new competition for this season, was skated in Helsinki. According to the skaters, the competition has a positive effect on the interest of the sport.
In addition to the top three teams in the country, the competition organized on Monday evening also included the Senior team Lumineers, who are also aiming for the top.
Team captain Ellen Nordenswan exudes confidence in his team.
– I would say that we should not be counted out of the game even at the international level, Nordenswan states.