The Finnish national alpine skiing team’s goal for the World Championships that ended on Sunday was to get three athletes into the top 16. The best Finnish ranking was the one who reached 21st place in the alpine combined Jaakko Tapanainen.
This season’s most reliable Finnish scorer Elian Lehto was 22nd in the super giant slalom and 25th in the jump.
Finland was on its feet with a young team. CEO of Ski Sport Finland Janne Leskinen did not consider the goal too optimistic.
– Jaakko would have been tenth if he hadn’t flashed at the end in the slalom. I calculated that Elian would have had a chance for the top 20. There was a mistake at the top, which cost the chances.
Leskinen adds that also on the final day in slalom Jesper Pohjolainen was making a strong run into the top 30 until he made a mistake.
– In the first round, we could see that there was enough speed. It would have had a chance for at least the top 30. Another could have watched what was happening.
– Mistakes backfired. The goal has to be tough in elite sports. You don’t come here to apologize. We’re not fighting for medals yet, but there were realistic seams for the top 16.
Sports expert Kalle Palander considered the goal utopian, but gives thumbs up to the coaching management’s attitude.
– Very rarely does an athlete do his best at the World Championships. Especially an up-and-coming calculator like Elian Lehto. Initially, the goal was too hard.
– However, Leskinen could have said that we are going to get experience for young athletes. He would have been laughed at. That’s why it’s right to set proper goals, Palander sees.
“Really good drive on”
The current season has shown that there are currently several promising male skiers in Finnish alpine skiing. The top name behind Elian Lehto Eduard Hallberg fell to silver in the junior WC in the super slalom. Pohjolainen and Tapanainen also belong to that chain.
– We have had a team with athletes of the same level for a long time, Leskinen says.
The current men’s national team reminds me of the old days in Palander.
– There is a similar spirit of togetherness as in the 1990s, when alpine skiing was started to be promoted. There is a really good drive on there and to believe that this will start to produce results.
Palander has criticized alpine skiing several times in recent years. He has been assured by the association that there are several talented guys on the young men’s side.
– Hallberg’s medal at the Junior World Championships is proof that the right things have happened. Alpine skiing schools make good dune. It has been known that the training has progressed like hell. I just haven’t believed it.
– I’ve thought that it’s just messing around. It’s great to be wrong.
Until some time ago, women’s situation was better than men’s. The arrangement has fluctuated.
– There are more question marks on the women’s side. Is Rosa Pohjolainen, who is injured. Let’s see how Riikka Honkanen gets ahead in his career. We have to think about what to do on the women’s side, Leskinen says.
Palander wonders about the situation.
– On the other hand, when the tip is missing, there are no results. But others have not moved on either. It’s a shame because there was a team with real potential.
Odermatti’s hardness stung
The Alpine Skiing World Championships saw both the dominance of the favorites and some big surprises. Palander was convinced especially of Switzerland From Marco Odermatti, who won both the vault and the super slalom. Winning both the speed event and the technical event is a rare treat.
A mega star Mikaela Shiffrin took his first World Cup gold in the super slalom and his sixth consecutive medal in the slalom. He is the second most successful athlete of all time at the World Championships, having won seven golds and 14 medals.
Canadian surprises James Crawford mixed Laurence St. Germain made big surprises with their world championships in super giant slalom and slalom.
– The hardness of Odermatti, it’s great. St. Germain’s slalom championship came completely from behind. Once again tells about the finesse of the sport. Even small Finland can win the world championship in the sport.