Tero Seppälä’s early season was tormented by a prolonged flu. However, the Finnish biathlete says that he is in better shape as the World Championships approach.
Roope Visuri,
Johannes Oikarinen
Tero Seppälä caused a stir last season with his up-and-coming performances in the Biathlon World Cup.
Seppälä also fought for the first podium finishes of his career last season. At the beginning of this season, no similar development leap has been seen. Seppälä has suffered from illnesses and has had to miss the games. The Finn has participated in seven of the twelve individual World Cup competitions this season.
The best finish is seventeenth in the Hochfilzen chase from early December.
The 26-year-old Finnish number one says that he is now in much better shape than in previous competition weeks.
– There were symptoms of a basic flu, but a little more severe. They could be extended even further. Even if I tried to play it safe, it was always awkward to wake up to a new morning. You noticed that the disease still hasn’t gone away, even though you’ve done everything you can to make it go away, Seppälä describes to Urheilu.
Seppälä thinks that the background of the prolonged flu is a problem that has plagued many people of matrimonial age since the corona pandemic.
– After being so protected for a couple of years, the resistance has perhaps weakened a bit. Diseases seem to move and catch so much, says Seppälä.
Seppälä hopes that he will get “the job off to a good start” in Anterselva. On Friday there is a sprint race, on Saturday the pursuit and on Sunday the relay.
– Friday’s sprint race will be the most challenging, as we have to find speed again. You have to push up tight. I haven’t been able to do that for a couple of weeks. When you get a good set-up for the chase, you will be able to pick up speed and pass at the end, says Seppälä.
The competition weekend in Anterselva is the last in the World Cup before the World Championships in February.
The athlete from Haapajärvi Kiiloje is still looking for speed towards the World Championships also from the lower level of the IBU Cup. Seppälä is in the Finnish team in Germany in Obertilliach at the end of January.
– I would get even more race starts, now that the races were missed. However, the World Championships are the main goal of the season, Seppälä justifies his decision.
The World Championships start with the IBU Cup the following week in Obertilliach, a good 150 kilometers northeast of Oberhof. According to Seppälä, he still has time to build up his fitness for the World Championships.
– The chances of success have not changed (after the illnesses). Of course, December wasn’t perfect for the Games. It would have been nicer to get more starts and thereby get good race performances. It has worked in training, but the competition performance has been more challenging, says Seppälä.
Weekend sports broadcasts on :
Friday 20.1.
02.55 Arena Freestyle World Cup, Calgary, freeski halfpipe
12.25 TV2 Alpine Skiing World Cup, Kitzbühel, men’s downhill
13.45 TV2 SM skiing, Tampere, pair sprints. At 1:55 pm Puhe.
15.00 TV2 Freestyle World Cup, Calgary, freeski halfpipe, summary
15.25 TV2 Biathlon World Cup, Anterselva, men’s sprint
17:40 Areena Salibandy Suomen cup, Hämeenlinna, women’s semi-final Classic–TPS, at 18:00 on TV2.
18.00 Puhe, Ice hockey tour
20.55 Areena, Floorball Finland cup, women’s semi-final SB-Pro–EräViikingit
Saturday 21.1.
09.15 Areena SC cross-country skiing, Tampere, 15 km (W), men
09.45 Puhe SM skiing, Tampere, 15 km (V), men
10.00 TV2 Sports studio
10.05 TV2 SM skiing, Tampere, 15 km (V), men
11.40 Sports studio
11.40 Areena Salibandy Suomen cup, Hämeenlinna, men’s semi-final Classic – Nokian KrP
11.50 TV2 SM skiing, Tampere 10 km (V), women
12.25 Arena Alpine Skiing World Cup, Kitzbühel, men’s plunge
13.15 Sports studio
13.20 TV2 Alpine Skiing World Cup, Kitzbühel, men’s downhill
13.50 Sports studio
13.55 TV2 Biathlon World Cup, Anterselva, women’s pursuit
14.10 Arena Skiing World Cup, Livigno, sprint competitions (v)
14.10 Arena Snowboarding World Cup, Laax, slopestyle
14.40 TV2 Combined World Cup, Klingenthal, men HS 140 hill
15.10 Arena Salibandy Suomen cup, Hämeenlinna, men’s semi-final OLS – M-Team
15.35 TV2 Snowboarding World Cup, Laax, slopestyle
15.55 TV2 Biathlon World Cup, Anterselva, men’s pursuit
16.00 Speech Ice hockey round
16.45 Sports studio
16.55 TV2 Combined World Cup, Klingenthal, men’s 10 km skiing
17.30 TV2 Sports studio
17.45 TV2 Skiing World Cup, Livigno, sprints (v)
18.25 Arena Snowboarding World Cup, Laax, halfpipe
18.30 TV2 Floorball Suomen cup, Hämeenlinna, women’s final
Sunday 22.1.
10.30 TV2 Sports studio
10:40 a.m. TV2 and Puhe SC skiing, Tampere, sprints (P)
10.58 TV1 Combined World Cup, Kligenthal, men HS 140 hill
11.25 Arena Alpine Skiing World Cup, Kitzbühel, men’s slalom
12.40 TV2 Biathlon World Cup, Anterselva, women’s relay
14.00 TV2 Combined World Cup, Klingenthal, men’s 10 km skiing
14.10 Arena Skiing World Cup, Livigno, pair sprints (v)
14.10 Arena Freestyle World Cup, Laax, slopestyle
14.30 TV2 Alpine Skiing World Cup, Kitzbühel, men’s slalom
15:30 TV2 Biathlon World Cup, Anterselva, men’s relay
16.55 TV2 Floorball Finnish Cup, Hämeenlinna, men’s final