Aino-Kaisa Saarinen believes that Krista Pärmäkoski’s career will continue.
LAHTI. The large audience in Salpausselä got to enjoy a rare treat in the women’s 20 km intermediate start race on Saturday, when no less than three Finns made it to the top five.
Krista Pärmäkoski won, Kerttu Niskanen was third and Johanna Matintalo fifth. Even more extraordinary was the fact that during the race the Finns were sometimes in the triple lead in the company of the toughest skiers. Also at the finish, the Finns had all three top places for a while.
Sports expert Aino-Kaisa Saarinen achieved some double victories for Finland during his active career Virpi Kuitunen with. However, he doesn’t remember anything from his own career that compares to Saturday’s race.
– I don’t remember when there was a triple lead situation. There are such in joint departures, but not in intermediate departures.
Saturday’s intermediate start races went better than Saarinen could have expected. He won two podium places when Iivo Niskanen eventually there were three of them.
Pärmäkoski surprised with the job, as Saarinen narrowly beat him outside the podium.
– This was probably one of the hardest moves of Krista’s career. It was a great success to win. As a top athlete, he knew how to make the right decisions and skip the Canmore weekend. Of course, the training period must also be successful, Saarinen reminds.
“Hard to imagine”
During the last two years, Pärmäkoski has spoken in the style that his career is coming to an end very soon. This was already the case two years ago after the last trip to the Beijing Olympics.
However, the 33-year-old Pärmäkoski has only continued to participate in the competition patterns. Saarinen has wondered about Pärmäkoski’s suggestive tone about ending his career.
– He has mentioned his retirement several times and has been spinning it. I personally feel that you have to come from within with a really strong feeling that you really want to leave your skiing career.
The win was Pärmäkoski’s first in six years.
– At the moment, it seems that he enjoys skiing. It’s hard to imagine that the career would end this season.
Storm warning for others
Iivo Niskanen on the other hand, it showed at the latest with his performance on Saturday that he is in strong international shape. Friday’s pair sprint was already promising.
Saarinen believes that Niskanen will be ready to fight for the first victory in Holmenkollen in a week.
This year, the classic race will be skied in Niskanen’s style, traditional. Seven years ago, young Niskanen was Martin Johnsrud Sundbyn after another. The two separated from the others at a good stage.
Niskanen is a master at tuning into peak condition for certain competitions. Until a few weeks ago, he was far from his best.
– The last two weeks have gone really well. He’s a master at how to dig into fitness, even when there aren’t really any races. He is the one who can do it. That’s the sign of a real top skier.
All of Niskanen’s main opponents were present at Salpauselkä, so he is in Kollen’s fight for victory.
– This was a storm warning. He is the marked man there.
Suomalaistähti’s dreams of winning have fallen at Kollen in the past, for example, due to choosing the wrong ski or excessive betting responsibility from the start.
It’s obvious that the writing force Johannes Hösflot Kläbo you have to leave the final places of the race before Kollen. Saarinen tells what kind of tactics could be Niskanen’s way to victory.
– Based on today, he has to leave the pin on the board with a steady, tight pace. The group is in line and the dribble competition starts. Kläbo has to be dropped off at speed. At the latest, after half the interval, you have to start picking up the pace.