The Finnish duo rejoiced at a rare success in the sprint – Jasmin Kähärä promised entertainment for the rest of the week: “Good boots up”

Jasmin Kähärä, 22, achieved the best World Cup ranking of his career in the cross-country freestyle sprint race in Tallinn. Kähära was eighth.

Already in qualifying, Kähärä was at a good pace, 11th. In the heat stage, Kähärä faced, among other things, Sweden, who held third place in the Sprint Cup in the World Cup Johanna Hagström and the USA, which is fifth Julia Kern.

Kähärä started to maintain the pace of the set right away on the first climb. Kähärä managed the dips and bends of the very muddy track of the Tallinn city track, while Hagström, Kern and Germany’s Sofie Kehrl snoring. Kähärä was the second of its kind in France Lena Quintin’s after.

In the semi-final, Kähärä had to avoid Norway, which fell in the fall Ane Appelkvist Stenseth and left the rest of the group. However, he managed to finish fourth in the heat, but missed the final place by a couple of seconds in the time comparison.

– Yes, I am satisfied. I set out to chase a place in the semi-finals from here. Still with my own bet in that set and I was able to follow my tactics. It feels good to succeed, Kähärä rejoices to Urheilu.

The semifinal spot was the second in Kähärä’s career. The first time was in the freestyle sprint in Dresden in December.

– Apparently, these city sprints suit me well.

The success gives a good starting point for the weekend in Salpausselkä, which concludes the World Cup, where the pair sprint with freestyle skiing is contested on Friday and the sprint with traditional skiing on Saturday.

– Nice to be able to ski in Lahti and that the season ends in Salppur. Let’s put up good pippalos at the Lahti stadium, Kähärä said.

A hard success from Jasmi Joensuu after being sick

He was also in a happy mood Jasmi Joensuuwho was the fastest Finn in qualifying, sixth.

In the first round, Joensuu was in a class of its own. In the Tallinn sprint, the track was circled twice. In the second round, Joensuu climbed from the top spot and left everyone else behind.

However, Joensuu couldn’t make it in the semi-finals, finishing fifth. In the semifinals of Joensuu, those who have dominated the sprints recently skied Jonna Sundling and Kristine Stavås Skistad.

At the beginning of the season, Joensuu was fourth in the traditional sprint at Ruka. After that, the semi-final places had remained a dream. Joensuu was 13th no less than three times, i.e. the first to qualify from the semi-finals.

– Top 10, though. These don’t come along every day. Great success. Last week I was still a little sore, and there was no telling if I would be able to ski here. Of course, the place in the final would have been up for grabs.

Joensuu got sick before the sprints in Drammen and the World Cup weekend in Falun was also a dream.

At least two Finns in the semi-finals in freestyle sprints is a rarity. This season Krista Pärmäkoski was in Davos Fifth and Kerttu Niskanen 12th on the Tour de Ski stage in Val Müstair.

Now in Tallinn, Niskanen was the third Finnish woman to clear the qualification. He was 22nd in the final results.

Three Finns also made it through the men’s qualification. Niilo Moilanen was 15th in qualifying, Lauri Vuorinen 26th and Verneri Poikonen 29th

In the heat stage, Moilanen was very close to his first semi-final place in freestyle skiing of the season. He lost to Sweden in the final To Marcus Grate and was the third of its kind.

Skistad beat Sundling again – Kläbo continued to be superior

In the women’s final, we saw a great final battle between Sundling from Sweden and Skistad from Norway. Skistad was 0.13 seconds stronger and took his third consecutive and fourth victory of the season.

Sundling was at his best during the World Championships and won the sprint world championship. Since then, however, Skistad has become a women’s sprint powerhouse. In the World Championships, Skistad finished fifth.

Sprintticup leading Switzerland Nadine Fähndrich was third in Tallinn.

In the men’s final Johannes Hösflot Kläbo hit the uphill in the second lap and ran away to a commanding victory. Kläbo’s ninth sprint victory this season. French Lucas Chavanat the other and Norway’s Even Northug third. Swedish Edvin Anger fourth this season for the third time.

Kläbo is superior in the sprint cup, but in the women’s cup there is still, at least theoretically, tension until Saturday in Lahti, when Fähndrich’s lead Maja Dahlqvist has 22 points.

Next to the Helsinki Olympic Stadium – entertainment for the audience

Many skiers have a very busy week, because the Stadium Sprint event will be held for the second time at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on Wednesday. Among the leading men involved are, among others, Kläbo, Richard Jouve and Federico Pellegrino and about women Katharina Hennig, Mathilde Myhrvold and Ane Appelkvist Stenseth.

Kähärä and Joensuu are also heading to the stadium.

– Really nice. Last year I was at the Junior World Championships during the stadium sprint. I hope the audience will find the place well. There was quite a commotion here (in Tallinn) today. It’s sure to be an entertaining evening for the public, Kähärä thought.

– I was already involved last year. I’m excited. Mother has gathered a large number of supporters, relatives, sponsors and friends to the place, commented Joensuu of Vantaa Ski Club.

Kläbo, the number one star of the men’s World Cup, has also stated that cross-country skiing needs entertainment events like the Stadium Sprint and new ideas.

– In addition to sports, we also work in the entertainment industry and compete for the public’s free time. We should appreciate events like the Stadion Sprint, they are part of the future of cross-country skiing. We should be where the people are, Kläbo thought in the announcement of the Ski Association.