The ski stadium at the Olympic Stadium sank in the spectators and the national team skier Vilma Nissinen – will we see the same in the future even in the World Cup?

The crowd shouted Iivo Niskasen name when the three-time Olympic champion postponed through the front line of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.

Niskanen had just shocked the audience by driving the steepest bend of the stadium print. However, he received huge applause, even though he crossed the finish line by 23 seconds in his own early round. Lauri Vuorinen after.

Mountainous, Ristomatti Hakola and Lauri Mannila still made a glory to Niskane on the finish line, but the Olympic hero amused the audience by not going through it.

This vision sums up why a touch of entertainment brightens up top sporting events. We asked spectators, athletes and race organizers if the unique Olympic Stadium sprint was a much-needed addition to the ski season.

Commercial director of the Ski Association, responsible for organizing the Helsinki Ski Weeks event Jari-Pekka Jouppi was faced with challenging decisions by stadium sprint in the morning after serious news came from the East.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine eventually also affected the program of the entertainment sporting event. According to Joup, there was a quick reaction to what happened.

– In our halftime and final show, certain songs were exchanged because of their names or themes, although they are not in any way related to that conflict per se. We didn’t want anything to give chances of annoyance. For example Tarja Turunen performed a different song than originally planned, Jouppi says.

According to Joup, the event was successful as expected. There were about 8,000 spectators who bought the ticket.

Sprint competitions have been used in the stadiums and in the urban environment in the past, but nothing has been organized in the more than 80-year history of the Olympic Stadium.

– Athletes have praised this concept. This has not been done not only in Finland but also in the world. There were international guests watching how things were done. I look forward to hearing from them.

Jouppi thinks that similar events can be seen in different parts of Europe in the future, why not even as part of a World Cup tour.

– At least the Germans have thought of this, as has the Swedish Ski Association. The marketing of the International Ski Federation was here too. In the bigger picture, they are interested in such events, Jouppi says.

“Hearty, more hearty, Kepa,” read in a sheet hanging at the bottom of the main auditorium. The Mennala family, who closely followed the skiing at the Beijing Winter Olympics, arrived at the Olympic Stadium to encourage, among others, the Olympic medalist Kerttu Niska.

Kerttu Niskanen is especially recognized as a fan Venla Mennala12, which itself competes in skiing and biathlon.

– Kerttu is such a fighter and a great guy. It was made as an incentive sheet together, Venla says.

Also the youngest in the sports family, Vilholla10, is his own favorite.

– Joni Mäki, Vilho announces without hesitation.

The Hämeenlinna family was attracted by the event’s new competition format and the new Olympic Stadium.

– We are quite passionate about bench athletes, so we definitely left. Yes, such a strong and traditional species needs to try everything. At least this isn’t bad, mother of the family Emilia Mennala says.

National team skier Vilma Nissinen enjoyed the atmosphere of the Olympic Stadium that he had never experienced before.

– It was a memorable evening. I hope to continue to come up with stuff like this to get more interest in the sport. It’s nice for the audience when things happen all the time, Nissinen rejoices.

The event brought much-needed variation to Nissinen, 24, representing Vuokatti Ski Team.

– Usually only some vitonen loop is pulled alone in the forest. And now that there hasn’t been an audience in a couple of years, it’s cool that there’s sound and mood here. It has been missed after it has been so quiet during the Games. Now was the good old days, Nissinen says.

Nissinen says he has attended a few similar events. For example, in the autumn of 2019, a sprint sprint sprint was held in Lempäälä on a track built in the shopping centre’s parking lot.

– This is implemented with a rather similar concept, but on a slightly larger scale. Such are needed.

Nissinen, who advanced from the qualifiers to the wilderness stage, will next compete in Lahti on Sunday, where the program includes a 10-kilometer competition of traditional skiing. The Salpausselä competition is only the second toughest international competition of the season for the A national team skier.

Nissinen’s season has been broken. From the Tour de Ski, he returned to Finland before the start of the tour due to Korona exposure and became ill as soon as he returned home from the flu. The Olympics went to the side of the mouth.

– It has gone a little differently, sometimes there are good weeks and sometimes worse. Such a hard start before Lahti was probably a good thing to get a bit of karst off the plane. Ruka has the previous start of the World Cup, so there is little pressure in the boiler, Nissinen says.

The people of Vantaa Krisse Rintala and Arto Asmundi had decided to buy tickets for the event a long time ago. In addition to an interesting sporting event, Rintala and Asmundi were also interested in seeing the renovated Olympic Stadium. The major renovation of the stadium was completed in the early autumn of 2020.

– The event has been a positive surprise, as this is compactly built and fast enough, Rintala says.

Enthusiastic bench athletes Rintala and Asmundi have, of course, visited the stadium in the past, including football matches, athletics competitions and concerts – Rintala has even performed on the field at gymnastics events.

However, skiing seems to be the number one sport for the couple. They especially like to follow Iivo Niskanen and Krista Pärmäkoski preconditions.

– Time is actively monitored. Let’s see all the races as it comes. We also ski both, we are active skiers, Asmundi says.

– It is really interesting to follow the next generation as well, when there are also sprint skiers and freestyle skiers. Yes, the future is probably in these types of species, Rintala says.

The trails of the Olympic Stadium have been open to everyone since the end of January.

– Here’s the really great thing about being able to ski here even afterwards. And yet such a snowy winter. It’s been nice to see when there have been a lot of families with children and toddlers skiing, Rintala in.