Niko Kytösaho did not believe, based on the results earlier in the season, that the goal he set in the spring would come true. Succeeding in the flying hill gave him confidence.
Anu Karttunen,
Emma Jump
Niko Kytösaho has jumped only three times this season for the ski jumping World Cup points, and two of them just barely. That’s why it was a big surprise for him to finish seventh instead of the Kulm lentomäki World Championships. In a way, it was a surprise even for Kytösaho himself.
– Based on the recent games, I didn’t know how to think like this, but in May I wrote on a piece of paper that my goal is to be in the top ten at the lentomäki World Championships, Kytösaho told Urheilu.
– It has been the goal all year, and it came true. But the winter has been so difficult that I haven’t believed in this lately.
Kytösaho was able to open the race on Friday with the longest jump of the day, 232.5 meters, and was able to keep his ranking the same in the next two rounds as well. According to Kytösaho, a lot was released in that longest jump.
– This is by far the best competition I’ve ever jumped, and it even happened at the World Championships. In a way, after that longest jump, it was just sickly cool to jump, enjoy the feeling and flying. The end result was then in accordance with it.
No need to guess the level anymore
In the corners, due to difficult wind conditions, it was only possible to jump three laps. This upset Kytösaho, who would have just wanted to jump. The jumpers had to wait for permission to jump for four and a half hours, but in the end the wind conditions were relatively equal.
Kytösaho’s ranking is the best Finnish result in the lentomäki World Championships in 16 years. In the year 2008 Janne Ahonen finished third in those races. Kytösaho admits that he gets a lot of confidence from this result.
– You can see that my level is that hard. The fact that I was able to make a good jump three times in a row in a competition situation, he stated.
– Now you don’t have to guess whether your own level is enough or not. It’s at that level now. Now let’s enjoy this and continue on the same track. I hope I can maintain my level from now on here.
The head coach outlined the celebration
In the past, Finnish ski jumpers might have celebrated their successes in the middle of the competition weekend, but today the team has a different pace. When Urheilu asked Kytösaho if he was going to celebrate his achievement today, the head coach had time Lauri Hakola shouts ‘no!’ from the background in response, before Kytösaho had a chance to speak.
– We’ll see, at least not today, he laughed.
– Tomorrow we still have an important day in the team competition. We’ll see if we can come up with something tomorrow, but today it’s all about sauna work and flute.