Iivo Niskanen spoke in many ways over the weekend. He was expected to win in Ruka the first race of normal distances in the World Cup, when 10 kilometers were skied in traditional skiing.
Norwegian Martin Löwström Nyenget took a lollipop from Niskas’s mouth, however, just like the Holmenkollen race a couple of years ago. Niskanen had already had time to air his victory. At the moment of defeat, Niskanen congratulated Nyengeti, but then threw his stick in the goal area.
Niskanen, for his part, had doubted before Sunday whether Ruka’s track was suitable for joint start races.
Niskanen’s and many other athletes’ fears did not come true. Chaos was expected from the 20 kilometers of joint starts on the free ski route, but it turned out differently.
Sports expert Aino-Kaisa Saarinen incensed the competitions and stung the critics.
– I think it is special that Ruka’s track is judged unsuitable for a joint start. Today, however, we saw good competitions for both women and men, Saarinen wrote in Urheilustudio’s chat.
Saarinen reminded us of the same thing during the continuation of Urheilustudio.
– There were interesting duels and surprising winners, Saarinen referred to Norway Jan to Thomas Jenssen and Sweden To Moa Ilar.
Both won the World Cup competition for the first time.
Who surprised?
Saarinen, a 15-time prize medalist, surprised the Finnish youth chain over the weekend. Many new names were seen in the sprint and normal trips with World Cup points or the best positions of their World Cup career.
Miro Karpanen, Juuso Haarala, Amanda Saari, Hilla Niemelä, Tiia Olkkonen, Eemil Liekari, Wiljam Mattila, Eero Rantala and Vilma Ryytty.
Among them, Ryytty was surprisingly the best woman in Finland in Sunday’s joint start race before the star skiers Krista Pärmäkoski and Kerttu from Niska. Ryytty was the 28th.
– I liked our young people. There were open-minded skiers, like Vilma Ryytty. He pulled hoses and wanted to ski hard. The print came, Saarinen beamed.
What the hell?
The fluoride ban was in effect for the first time this weekend at the World Cup of Skiing. There has been enough talk and noise about the fluoride ban. Also wild conspiracy theories, like in the Sports Studio Riku Salminen and Kalle Lassila illustrated at the weekend.
In Ruka, only one fluorine barrow was seen. Ukrainian Oleh Mishtchenko couldn’t start on Saturday at the traditional 10, because more than the allowed amount of fluoride was found in the skis.
Finland’s head coach Teemu Pasanen saw the fluoride ban as one effect on the course of the competition.
– Before, you could use fluorine to smooth the skis into the most uniform quality. The cream can’t help now. Ski base materials and grinds really make a difference, especially in extreme conditions. You have to find just the right ski, Pasanen tells Urheilu.
Who flopped?
Experienced athletes were a disappointment to expert Aino-Kaisa Saarinen. On the men’s side Perttu Hyvärinen and Markus Vuorela were in the 47th and 49th places on Sunday’s joint start in free.
On Saturday, at the traditional top ten, Saarinen expected the two to fight for places in the top 15, but Vuorela was 19th and Hyvärinen 21st.
Finland’s biggest stars on the women’s side Krista Pärmäkoski and Kerttu Niskanen were more than three minutes behind the leader on Sunday. The Finnish stars stated that the instrument was not in order. Also maintenance manager Heikki Tonteri took credit for the performances of Pärmäkoski and Niskanen.
According to Saarinen, however, skis could not explain everything, because according to the expert, Vilma Ryytty could not have been able to perform well with bad skis.
– Should get a decent performance. Now it was clearly left out. Krista and Kertu flopped on Sunday, Saarinen said during the continuation of Urheilustudio.
She considers the situation of freestyle skiing among Finnish women to be worrying. Saarinen encourages Finns to practice freestyle skiing.
– You can already say before the competition that the Finns are not in the top fight. It’s horrible, Saarinen says directly.
What next?
Already finished his active career a year and a half ago Riitta-Liisa Roponen is joining the World Cup team next weekend in Jällivaara, Sweden.
Responsible coach for Finnish women Ville Maunuksela admitted on Sunday to Urheilu that Roponen is a candidate for Jällivaara, because Ruka has not seen such hard performances from Finns in freestyle skiing.
In Jällivaara, free skiing is available again. The distance is ten kilometers with an intermediate start.
At the beginning of November, Roponen dazzled in the Olos Artillery Games, when he beat Niskanen and Pärmäkoski with a free pole. 45-year-old Roponen has said that he skis as a hobby.
Something about the early season of Finnish skiing tells us that Ropo is expected at the World Cup like a savior.
– I have to say that thank God we have the gallant war horse Ritu. He is needed there. Ritu must come and show a model of how to freestyle skiing. I hope Ritu will be able to set an example for young people, says Saarinen.
Relay competitions are also skied in Jällivaara. Roponen is also tied for the Finnish relay team spot in freestyle skiing.
– Unfortunately, Ritu is a confirmation for Finland. It’s great that Ritu can continue, but hopefully there will be young challengers for her, Saarinen underlines the situation.