The Individual compact competition starts on Friday at 12:00 in Ruka with the suurmäki competition. The 7.5 kilometer ski section starts at 4:00 p.m. broadcasts the events of the Ruka World Cup on its channels starting at 10:45 a.m.
The combined world cup season starts in Ruka with an interesting novelty, the individual compact competition. There is no Finnish name for the competition format so far, but it is a kind of handicap competition. The rankings determine the differences for the skiing section, not the points obtained from the ski jumping performance.
The first name on the hill always gets to the track just six seconds ahead of the second, no matter how much further he jumps than the others.
The individual compact competition has been seen as a form of trying to limit the combined Norwegian who has dominated in recent years Jarl Magnus Riiberin superiority.
Riiber criticized the competition format already in April, when the individual compact was going to be processed by the international skiing association FIS.
– I think that is a hopeless concept. It doesn’t bring out the hill jumper’s strengths at all, Riiber described to NRK.
Norway’s combined sport boss Ivar Stuan understand his protégé’s criticism. Like Riiber, the Norwegian has also dominated in the women’s combined. Gyda Westvold Hansen won all competitions last season.
– They are exceptional hill jumpers. This is not right for them, Stuan tells Urheilu.
Stuan believes that the FIS wanted tougher competitions in the combined. Especially after what was seen at the World Championships in Planica. That’s when Riiber won all four possible World Championship golds.
The Norwegian sports boss sees two different sides in the new competition format. It is good for the spectators when the competition is tighter on the ski track until the end. The best ski jumpers, however, have a hard time.
– You can jump ten meters further, but only get a difference of six seconds. It’s a bit strange, Stuan tells Urheilu by phone on the way to Ruka.
1st place on the hill
2nd place + 6 seconds
3rd place + 12 seconds
4th place + 17 seconds
5th place + 22 seconds
6th place + 26 seconds
7th place + 30 seconds
8th place + 33 seconds
9th place + 36 seconds
10th place + 38 seconds
11th place + 40 seconds
12th place + 42 seconds
13th place + 44 seconds
14th place + 46 seconds
15th place + 48 seconds
36th place and all lower + 90 seconds
Having worked as the head coach of the Finnish national team for a long time and today as an expert in Urheilu, the following is exactly what is combined Petter Kukkonen also sees two sides in the new competition format.
Kukkonen understands Riiber’s pain.
– Riiber is an exceptional talent and an incredibly good athlete. Maybe it’s not even understood how much of a talent he is. In a bigger sport, it could come out even better. It is quite clear that the superiority is not Riiber’s own fault, describes Kukkonen.
Like Stuan, Kukkonen also understands the logic of the sport Big Shoes.
– According to studies, 60-70 percent of the people following the combined track specifically follow the skiing section and its final turns. The competition must be interesting until the end, describes Kukkonen.
In Norway, they want Finland and other countries on the podium
However, the Norwegian boss Stuan generally has a positive attitude towards new forms of competition. According to him, the most important thing is that the different forms of competition are balanced in the Competition Calendar.
The Individual compact competition is on the World Cup program three times this year. The joint start, which favors more hill jumpers, is contested twice.
For Finns, the form of competition that favors skiing is fundamentally good. Ilkka Herola and Eero Hirvonen have been the best skiers on the combined world cup tour for years.
The new competition in Ruka may be the most successful for Finns, but on the other hand, throughout history, Finns have had difficulties on Suurmäki in Ruka.
– I don’t expect the impossible from this weekend, but in different conditions this could be a good race for the Finns, describes Kukkonen.
Stuan reminds that even in the individual compact you have to succeed on the hill at least reasonably well. From positions 12 to 15, we start chasing the top from a considerable distance away.
Last year, for example, the differences between Herola and Riiber to the top in Saturday’s race would have been smaller under the rules of the individual compact, but still big.
Riiber is also an excellent skier when he is healthy, so last year he was able to go even further to win in ten kilometers. In the Individual compact, the ski distance is 7.5 kilometers in Ruka.
Riiber’s situation going into the World Cup season is interesting. The fifth consecutive World Cup overall victory did not come last season due to illness. The preparation for the season was not without problems because of the rhinovirus.
Riiber said at the beginning of November that he had been coughing a lot for eight weeks and already had time to worry if his lungs had been ruined for good.
Stuan hopes that the number one name in the sport would immediately succeed in Ruka.
– Jumping has been very good. In skiing, the last month has been pretty good. He’s not ready for the whole season yet, but I think he’ll be fine in Ruka, Stuan describes.
Later in the evening, however, there was a setback when Riiber’s shoulder dislocated in Thursday’s reserve race. It may still have an impact on the weekend.
Stuan, who has been involved in the sport for a long time, would be happy if Finland and many other countries would fight more often for places on the podium.
Norway has also wanted to share its knowledge of the sport with other countries. In the summer, Hirvonen and Herola were at a training camp in Norway practicing hill jumping.
Estonian Kristjan Ilves and Kazakhstan Chingiz Rakparov travel with the Norwegian national team throughout the season. Norway also cooperates very closely with the United States.
Norway lubricates the skis of the Americans and helps with downhill skiing as well. According to Stuan, cooperation with the United States is important because of the Olympics, referring to the endangered status of the sport in the Olympic family.
– If we succeed, we can raise the Americans to the top ten. That’s the goal. For me in team management, it is important that we have many countries in the top fight. Of course, I want the best results for my country, but good results for others as well.
Riiber’s participation in Ruka’s race weekend may be uncertain, as his shoulder dislocated during Thursday’s practice.