The final competition of the Biathlon Women’s World Cup starts at 16:05. According to the Finns, 30 runners made it to the joint start Mari Eder and Suvi Minkkinen.
Before the competition, Mari Eder, 35, announced her retirement.
Even before the start of the now ending season, last summer, Eder thought long and hard about the continuation of his career. Eder, who lives in Austria, is an entrepreneur. Together with her husband, an Austrian by Benjamin Eder with them they have a sports equipment store that is focused on “excellence in cross-country skiing”.
– It seemed like a prospect that I wanted to spend time and energy on. At first I didn’t know if it was possible to combine it with professional sports, Eder told Urheilu last fall.
However, Eder had continued training throughout the summer. In the end, I found motivation to continue my career.
Now Eder told about ending his career on Instagram.
– It’s time to say Goodbye.
– Even though the end of the season was tinged with health problems, I’m glad that last spring I chose this path once again, and I did it in my own way. As a result of passion and hard work, I once again returned to the top condition of my life and joined the top fights.
In his update, Eder regretted that the prize medal remained a dream.
– Like every top athlete, I dreamed of a personal championship medal. However, in Finnish sports, it has always been the delicacy of only a few, and in the end I have to admit that my skills, work performance or talent were not enough for it. Even though at my best I came close with the fourth place at the World Championships, let’s be honest, I was also far too far too many times.
– Now, however, there is peace at the end point. In the final meters, I also learned to appreciate the enormous amount of work and commitment that this has required. The realization that you have put yourself 100% into the game will ultimately help you accept what is left down the line.
In his update, Eder also thanked everyone who supported him throughout his career. In the end, there were humorous greetings to the husband.
– Thank you Benjamin, for everything. You, rauka, seem to be the only one who still can’t get rid of me.
The crown is the victories at Holmenkollen – a total of no less than 19 prestige races
Eder debuted in the World Cup in the 2007–08 season. He already has 350 World Cup starts. In the overall World Cup race, Eder has been at his best 26th in the 2016–17 season. Now Eder is in 22nd place before the final race.
Eder won two World Cup races, then still under the surname Laukkanen, on consecutive days at Holmenkollen in Norway on March 17 and 18, 2017. The wins came in the sprint race and the pursuit.
The victories were especially emotional, because the long-time coach of the biathlon national team Asko Nuutinen had died the night before the race.
In addition, Eder was second in the Kontiolahti speed race in March 2014.
Eder’s best finish in the prestigious competitions is fourth place in 2017 on the standard route of the World Championships in Hochfilzen. All in all, Eder participated as a biathlon skier 12 times in the World Championships and 4 times in the Olympics.
In addition, the powerful freestyle skier represented Finland three times in cross-country competitions. At the Sochi Olympics 2014, he was 15th in the freestyle skiing sprint competition. At the World Championships in Lahti 2017, Eder finished eighth in the free sprint and at the Pyeongchang Olympics 2018 in the free pair sprint Krista Pärmäkoski with fifth.