Cross mat Hakola won the Finnish championship in a sprint with traditional skiing.
Hakola won in a tight fight to the end Joni Mäen. Hakola held the spot, but Mäki had to pass at the end. Lauri Lepistö was third.
Hakola had said in advance about the easy sprint track in Tampere that it would not suit a diesel like him. However, he warmed up perfectly for the final.
– I tried a slightly different tactic. In the opening and semi-finals, I pushed hard from the bottom, Hakola said and said that he got tips from a former national team skier from Matias Strandvall.
– Matu said before the final that you should go all the way to the top and hit from there. I did it.
Like Hakola, Jämin represents Jänte Lauri Lepistö said that he wanted to take the same course if Hakola hadn’t made it first.
– It scared me when I landed when I saw the boys behind, Hakola explained.
Hakola’s season has not been optimal. The early season was tinged with health concerns. Before Christmas, he returned to compete in the national championships, but now for the first time he was at the starting line with the sharpest top in Finland.
Hakola said that the championship felt good and the skier who grew up in Kankaanpää got to joke about his baseball background. The Tampere Championship was also held at Kaupi Stadium, known for baseball.
– I am always at my best in baseball stadiums. Imatra and Kauppi. The top of the triple nest felt good, Hakola said and referred to his Finnish championship a year ago in Imatra in the free 15 km.
Mäki said that he had given Hakola a little too much line. In a tight fight, he also sparred with his rivals with sticks. In the final, almost everyone skis with straight push.
– There were situations. That side was not missing, Mäki said.
The championship caps had already been ordered
According to Lepistö, everyone else believed in Hakola’s Finnish championship more than the hero himself.
– Rise said that there are a couple of bumps on the track. I said that no one can beat you with those sticks, Lepistö revealed.
Hakola made a juicy revelation about the scenes. According to Hakola, Lepistö was eager to order the Finnish championship caps as early as Saturday evening.
– The guy does have credit, Hakola laughed.
Terribly, Hakola didn’t bang his braces yet after the competition. The 31-year-old skier had the difficulties of the early season in mind when he was asked about future plans.
In terms of sprinting, the last showing for the World Cup is next weekend at the World Cup in France.
– Let’s take it one day at a time. Let’s stay healthy for two days now. We’ll see then, Hakola said.
Hakola’s personal coach and the head coach of the Finnish national team Teemu Pasanen there will still be World Cup competitions for Hakola.
– The condition has been in place for a long time. Now he gets the games under his belt and is able to show his good form, Pasanen said.
Lepistö, who is fighting for a place in the World Cup, was satisfied himself, because he has had a difficult time after a good start to the season.
– It was nice. After yesterday, I thought we should go skiing now. But it was a good day, Lepistö stated.
In the women’s category, there is also a tight championship decision
The women’s medals were also decided in the final straight. Johanna Matintalo stretched ahead of Katri Lylynperä for first place. Jasmin Kähärä was on bronze before Anne Kyllö.
Like the men, the championship was decided in a goal camera comparison.
Matintalo described the final as stressful because the end of the course is so fast-paced and downhill.
– I got away, but Katri came to the end like a rocket. I was a little scared that the guy was already in the neck, says Matintalo.
Lylynperä tried to squeeze through the narrow space between the tracks. Lylynperä already described before the weekend’s WC shootings that the competition break has not gone in the best possible way.
So Lylynperä did not directly rejoice with the silver medal around his neck.
– I was a bit on the ropes on the way up. There are harder tracks in the world than this one. It’s rare to see such low profits. Even though it was a good ending, more energy is needed for next weekend, Lylynperä said.
The feeling was uncertain.
– I don’t really know why things have gone so low. I’ve been off the map with the coach. We have groped and looked for different solutions. Now there were two good races and through recovery to rise, Lylynperä said.
He goes to the World Cup in France looking like he belongs in the World Cup team.
– The women have strong sprint performances. So it requires a lot of proof from me that I can fit into the World Cup team, says Lylynperä.