In Jasmi Joensuu’s opinion, Finnish sprinters have to train in competitions because, especially in women’s national team coaching, not enough is invested in sprint training.
Anu Karttunen,
Laura Arffman
Jasmi Joensuu qualified on Saturday as the only Finnish woman from the Toblach freestyle sprint qualifying. However, his career ended in the heats and in 16th place.
After the race, Joensuu, 27, criticized the fact that there is not enough sprint training in Finland, especially in the women’s national team.
According to Joensuu, downhill skiing is easy for him nowadays, whereas just a couple of years ago he often crashed and fell. Now these have been left out, but if Joensuu wants to win the prizes, he must be able to ski the rest better.
– Now, however, I would probably also like more sprint training in our system. We are a bit like learning here at the games. If we don’t practice sprinting, it’s pretty hard to do.
Joensuu wondered if it was about the Finnish training culture or what.
– We feel that standard training also develops sprinting. I agree 100%, but these absolute solution positions are where we fall short.
National team women’s coach Ville Maunuksela responded to Joensuu’s criticism. He admitted that in the national team there is an emphasis on normal trips in group training.
– In sprint training, hard sections are needed, but our level in Finland is not too wide. If a couple of sprint women are missing from the national team camp, there will be 1–2 women left. Then it’s not that kind of group training, Maunuksela said.
There have been several sprinters on the men’s side over the years, but there have only been a few on the women’s side. At the moment, however, the situation is better, because in addition to Joensuu, others are investing in the sprint Jasmin Kähärä, Tiia Olkkonen, Katri Lylynperä and sprint junior world champion Eevi-Inkeri Tossavainen.
Joensuu hoped that women would invest in cooperation, and Maunuse shares the same opinion.
– If the activities of the A and B national teams continue as they are now, the women must have something to do together with the B national team, Maunuksela said.
– If we can get cooperation, then we can really do group skiing in group exercises.
According to Maunuskela, Joensuu skied in the heats of the Toblach sprint exactly as he should have. This time, however, a place in the semifinals was not secured, as Joensuu finished fourth in its heat.
– The continuation place was not due to any of Jasmin’s tactical incompetence or group skiing incompetence, Maunuksela assured.
Urheilu follows the Tour de Ski in this article. The Tour continues on Sunday with 10 km (p) intermediate starts. The women’s race starts at 1:15 p.m. and the men’s race at 4 p.m.