Krista Pärmäkoski celebrated her birthday in an exceptional way – finishing at the Tour de Ski would be a “big win” | Sport

Krista Pärmäkoski, who fell ill at the beginning of December, is going to the Tour de Ski starting on Saturday with moderate goals.

Krista Pärmäkoski has spent an extraordinary amount of time at home in December. Although the reason, getting sick with the corona virus at the beginning of the month, is unfortunate, the end of the year has contained a lot of good things.

– I was at home longer than planned when the disease prolonged and I thought it reasonable to miss the World Cup in Trondheim. On the other hand, it was nice that I could get sick in peace at home and didn’t have to be on a trip. We got great snow, and I was able to ski after I recovered, Pärmäkoski says by phone from Italy.

She usually spends her birthday on December 12 on a World Cup tour with the national team, but now she celebrated her 33rd birthday alone at home while her husband was away on the road.

– I baked pancakes and stuck candles in them, so it was my birthday cake. Christmas was celebrated more with family and friends in a relaxed atmosphere, says Pärmäkoski.

Illness as a nuisance to others

After Christmas, Pärmäkoski traveled to Toblach, Italy, where he has been preparing for the Tour de Ski starting on Saturday. Many top skiers, including Pärmäkoski, have named the Tour de Ski as their main competition of the season.

Pärmäkoski was originally supposed to adapt to the conditions of the Tour de Ski in the mountain camp, but it was missed. Having participated in the Tour several times, Pärmäkoski knows that the seven-part tour tests the lungs and recovery, even if there is no underlying illness.

Illnesses have taken a heavy toll on this year’s Tour de Ski participant list. Norwegian and Finnish star skiers Johannes Hösflot Kläbo and Iivo Niskanen announced on Thursday that they will miss the tour due to illness. One of the winning favorites for women Ebba Andersson on the other hand, he recovered from the corona virus and was in competitive shape just before the start of the tour.

– There has been no major concern in the air. We talked with a few that there are illnesses in many teams. In Trondheim before Christmas, several teams also had the flu. Although I have just contracted the corona, there are many other diseases on the move, Pärmäkoski says.

Pärmäkoski has experience of getting sick just before the Tour or during the tour. Last season, Pärmäkoski’s suspension stung especially a lot, because he was third in the overall competition before he got sick. In the previous tours in 2021–22, he was fifth and in 2020–21 fourth, but he had to withdraw from the tour at the turn of the year 2019–20 due to illness.

The gloves have not been dropped

Pärmäkoski has only three World Cup starts this season. In Ruka, he was 12th in the 10th traditional competition, but in freestyle skiing, he finished 31st in Ruka and a week later in Jällivaara, 25th.

Pärmäkoski believes that Corona was burning in his system already at the opening of the World Cup season, which is why the results were poor.

– I hope that there will be better skis than I have been able to show in the World Cup. Ruka had a good traditional race, but the free races have been bad. I know it’s not my fitness level.

The Tour de Ski is still the main goal of the season for Pärmäkoski, even though the preparation has been far from optimal.

– The Tour is still important, and I want to perform hard. My goal is to finish the tour, that would be a big win. I’m especially looking forward to the long race in Davos, because the route has changed a bit. Of course, the final ascent is the same kind of monstrosity that you always wait for in a twisted way, says Pärmäkoski.

On Thursday, he did only his third intensive training since the Jällivaara World Cup at the beginning of December.

– Gloves have not been dropped here, but I am realistic enough that this has by no means been a dream preparation. It’s a mystery even to myself, what’s to come and where the fitness level is at the moment compared to others. I don’t dare to give myself any investment goals, says Pärmäkoski.