Superstars aside from Jukola – international competition opens up an opportunity for Finns to succeed

shows 18-19. Jukola’s message on its channels, which will compete in June. The transmission of Venlo’s message starts on June 18. at 13.40 on TV2 and a broadcast of Jukola’s message at 22.40.

This year, Finnish teams have a better seam than usual for the winning battles between Jukola and Venlo.

The World Orienteering Sprint Championships will be held just a week after Jukola, 26-30. June in Denmark. The proximity of the Games influences Sports Expert Janne Salmen inevitably joins Jukola’s message in the winning struggle setups.

For example, the national team athletes from Denmark and Switzerland have a preparation camp in Denmark during Jukola, so the World Cup athletes from the countries will not take part in the orienteering message in Mynämäki.

– Quite a few of the Norwegians and Swedes – perhaps more than half of those who go to the World Cup – will miss Jukola. Five of the Norwegian national team will be run by Jukola and six will not, Salmi, who works as the head coach of the Norwegian national orienteering team, told Urheilu.

According to Salmi, travel, night surveillance and excessive competition on the eve of the value games are the reasons why many do not go to the starting line. There is always a risk of injury. In addition, sprint and forest navigation are technically very different species.

– If you haven’t ran much in the field, running in the woods is challenging. And rhythm of map reading and orienteering skills in general.

The lack of many top foreigners opens up opportunities for Finnish teams to succeed.

– If a couple of Norwegian clubs are left out of many Norwegian, Danish or Swedish clubs, then it really does have a big impact.

According to Salmi, the 2017 Jukola winner IFK Gothenburg will suffer the most. From year to year, the club has been at the forefront of the message for both men and women. From the men’s team to the World Cup at least Max Peter Bejmer and women Sara Hagström and Simona Aebersold.

The successful Danish club OK Pan Århus is also weaker than usual when the athletes of the Danish sprint team are not available.

OK Linné, who won the men’s 10-night night message in Tiomila this spring in Örebro, Sweden, will miss at least Lukas Liland.

According to Salmi, 15-time world champion and superstar of the sport will be excluded from Stora Tuna women’s team Tove Alexandersson mixed Marie Olaussen. The team won the Venla message in 2018. Nydalens SK, who won the women’s Tiomila last month, is missing a veteran Anne Hausken Nordbergwith a hind leg injury.

Salmi estimates that the Finnish World Cup representatives will not miss the highlight of the message navigation season.

– Finns have a very high threshold for not participating. It must be remembered that clubs are important supporters for Finnish national team athletes. I would be surprised if someone left Jukola.

The last of the Finnish teams to win in Jukola has been Tampere’s Koovee, which won the message in 2016 and 2018, when the Swiss star Daniel Hubmann served as the team anchor. Today, the 39-year-old Hubmann represents his native OL Norska and is part of the Swiss sprint national team, so he is not seen in Jukola.

Koovee has also been active this spring, when it has dominated the Ukrainian Oleksandr Kratovin and Estonians Timo and Lauri Sildin mixed Kenny Kivikas under.

Another Tampere club Pyrintä has also been involved in the top fight in recent years, but so far there has been no victory. The “red plane” has been at the peak spot for the past couple of years at dawn, but has had to surrender in the final leg. This year, the team was Tiomila’s best Finnish team when it finished fourth.

The team has been anchored by the Swiss in recent years Florian Howaldwhich will focus on this year’s World Cup.

– However, there will probably be at least one Swiss on the team not running in the World Cup, Pascal BuchsSalmi knows.

Helsinki Orienteering, which was assembled from domestic orienteers only a year ago, was the third best Finnish team in Jukola. Familiar with the national team Olli Ojanaho ran the last leg of the team.

The last time Jukola’s message was won without foreign reinforcements was in 1996, when Janne Salmi anchored Turku Orienteering first. There is also time for the victory of the previous Finnish anchor. Tero Föhrin and after Vehkalahti Veikko’s 2006 victory, there are only international stars on the list of winning anchors, such as Thierry Guergiou, Olav Lundanes and Emil Svensk.

– It is possible for the Helsinki Navigators, but I still do not consider them quite a pre-favorite, Salmi estimates.

According to Salmi, the race terrain of Southwest Finland should be preferred by Finnish orienteers, as it is very familiar to many. He expects the differences to remain smaller and steady until the end of the race.

– Yes it will be solved with the anchor section in both sets. The question is whether Finnish teams have good enough anchors.

The strongest candidate for Jukola’s winner is probably the Swedish Stora Tuna OK, which has won the previous two Jukola. The members of the team are currently attending Jukola. According to Salmi, the Norwegian NTNUI may also be at the forefront.

Other Finnish teams, such as Kaleva Rasti, Ikaalisten Nouseva-Voima, Paimion Rasti and Turku Orienteering, can qualify.

Venlo’s latest Finnish victory is from 2010, when Tampereen Pyrinto rose to the highest podium with the team Venla Niemi (current Ridge) –Saila Busy–Riina Kuuselo–Anni-Maija Fincke.

In the women’s four-part message, the importance of the anchor part is emphasized.

– In terms of time, it is almost a third of the competition. It’s really interesting when there may not be quite the best, typical winning anchors out there.

Salmi estimates that at least the Norwegian clubs NTNUI and Nydalens SK may be high on the women’s post.

Of the domestic teams, at least last year’s Tampereen Pyriment, represented by Nelonen, national team navigator Venla Harju, is strong. European Champion Gold Medalist Marika Teinin Kaleva’s Rasti was in the top competition for a long time in Tiomila this spring, and was seventh in the end as the best Finnish team. SK Pohjantähti from Oulu has also been seen in the top fight.

Combining youth and experience, Lahti Navigators can surprise you. The team’s veteran cools Minna Kauppi.

Jukola will start with a message from Venla on June 18 at 2 p.m. The turn of Jukola’s message is at 11 pm in the evening.