The broadcast of the sports studio starts at 11:55 on TV2 and Areena.
The broadcast of Puhe starts at 11:55.
at 12:00 combined, hill section HS138, men, team competition
at 1:30 p.m. skiing, men’s 15 km (year)
at 16:10 combined, cross-country section 4×5 km, men, team competition
at 18:30 ski jumping HS138, women
at 20:30 The best of the day
What are we talking about?
Is it Kerttu Niskanen leg okay or not? Before the combined race, Niskanen, who fell in warm-up, was the best Finn in the 10-kilometer freestyle skiing competition, ninth, but the gap to the top increased to almost a minute. Sports expert Aino-Kaisa Saarinen did not take this as a good signal.
– Something is wrong there. Although that leg is not very broken, it somehow seems to hinder skiing, Saarinen said.
Ville Nousiainen again, the 10 km race didn’t look any different from Niskanen’s previous freestyle skiing races, and he wasn’t worried about the condition of his leg.
Nousiainen reminded that freestyle skiing is not one of Niskanen’s strengths, so he did not expect miracles or at least a medal from Niskanen.
– If you take five seconds off Kertu’s time, he would have been sixth. That’s his baseline. Those five seconds could have gone away if he had calculated a couple of corners better, but this season Kertu’s level in the free has been that, Nousiainen said.
Niskanen himself said that the leg is “okay”.
Who surprised?
Italian Francesca Franchi already surprised in the combined race with ninth place and in the 10 km race he placed even better, sixth.
– After the combined competition, I was still unsure if he would be able to stretch in just the free competition as well, but he clearly could, Ville Nousiainen said.
Jessie Diggins the victory was not a surprise for Nousiainen or Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, but the fact that the 31-year-old Diggins’ first personal victory came only now was a small surprise.
– The United States has not always had the best service in the world, and many times that part has failed. Then Diggins has been ahead Therese Johaugia or Charlotte Kalla, world-class skiers. Now that they weren’t there, it was his place, Saarinen said.
Diggins’ victory was also based on the fact that the track and the weather favored him. In Saarinen’s opinion, Diggins is also the world’s best in pole skating, and when the race was decided in the downhills, there was no doubt about the winner.
– The stars were aligned in this victory.
Nousiainen reminded that, for example, Norway Martin Johnsrud Sundby won his first individual world championship at the age of 34.
– Even the best will fluctuate and in the medal fight everything has to be nailed down in one day, Nousiainen said.
Who flopped?
Lentomäki’s World Cup competitions in Planica have always been quite a carnival, but now at the World Cup there has been no congestion at the ski stadium and the hill climb. The race organizers have expected 200,000 spectators, but only a fraction of the tickets have been sold.
Entrance tickets to the World Cup next Sunday cost from 35 euros to 64 euros. These most expensive day tickets are available for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Compared to the median salary of Finns, that price would be around 100 euros.
The members of the Finnish hill team gave direct words about ticket prices on Tuesday.
– There is a difference between good business and greed. Ticket prices, but also hotel prices, are high. Something people are protesting. They’re not coming here, head coach Janne Väätäinen said.
Niko Kytösaho recalled that there is usually a completely different mood in Planica.
– There are so many people at the World Cup finals in Planica that not everyone can fit in the box. Then the tickets were at the right prices, now they are outrageously priced, Kytösaho said.
Urheilu’s experts are upset about the situation.
– It has been confusing. Even before the first race event on the hill, I looked at how the grandstand could be so small, and then there were only a handful of people there. At the Lentomäki competitions, not all the people present can even see the competitions themselves, when there are so many of them, who has jumped from Planica’s Lentomäki numerous times Janne Ahonen told.
In both men and women, Slovenia still has strong medal favorites for the hill races, so Ahonen thinks that this is already a place of crisis for the race organizers. Also Petter Kukkonen reminded that the audience present creates the atmosphere.
– This is not good for the images of the species anywhere. The feeling increases the attractiveness, Kukkonen said.
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen thinks that the race organizers have been too greedy with the ticket prices.
– You can’t charge the same price here as in Oslo or Lahti, he gasped.
What next?
No Finnish medal ceremony is expected for the men’s 15 km freestyle competition on Wednesday. Representing Finland Perttu Hyvärinen, Niko Anttola, Remi Lindholm and Markus Vuorela.
Aino-Kaisa Saariinen and Ville Nousiainen have quite moderate expectations for the Finnish quartet. The most is expected from Perttu Hyvärise, whose time off has been great at times this season.
– I have high expectations for Pertu, because I expect him to finish in the top six, Nousiainen said.
– However, you have to remember that since you are skiing in freestyle, you have to hit the tip much more than with traditional skiing. Central Europeans are much tougher when free.
Saarinen hopes that the Finnish team will be able to offer inspiring performances.
– They have not been seen so far. If only Niko Anttola could suddenly be funny. That there would be some positive signals, when there haven’t been any so far, Saarinen stated.