The World Cup medal was lost! Iivo Niskanen severely annoyed himself and cursed at decisive moments – “I was arrogant”

Iivo Niskanen finished sixth in the final distance of the World Ski Championships in Planica with 50 kilometers in traditional skiing. Norwegian Paul Golberg and Johannes Hösflot Kläbo took the double victory before the Swedes William Poromaata and Calle Halfvarssonia.

About the Norwegians Martin Löwström Nyenget was Fifth ahead of Niska, who finished sixth. Niskanen was nine seconds behind world champion Golberg.

The decision of the competition was seen between seven men in the last kilometer. Niskanen could not keep up with the others when the medals were decided.

In 2018, at the Pyeongchang Olympics, Niskanen won gold with 50 kilometers of traditional skiing. On the same route and on the same skiing, Niskanen was also sixth two years ago at the World Championships in Oberstdorf.

– The group should have been reduced during the trip. It was a good fight though. The medal was fought for 200 meters before the finish line. There were a few tougher guys and more strength. Iivo didn’t get away from the others enough, Finland’s head coach Teemu Pasanen comment after the race.

Iivo Niskanen scolded himself violently: “F***a what f***a”

In an interview with Urheilu, Iivo Niskanen harshly corrected himself after the competition.

– I’m in a bad mood. The tools felt good. I was cocky at the end. I thought that a smaller stroke would be enough, like in the relay, and I would secure a medal that way, Niskanen said.

Throughout the Games, there has been a lot of talk about how there is a long gentle climb on the Planica track, which should suit Niskasen. Suomalaistahtih regretted how he didn’t take advantage of it and his own strengths. According to Suomalainen, “the bugs stayed in the pipe”.

– Two or three laps before the finish line I could have left. It was nothing but bad tactics, Niskanen said.

He didn’t blame the skis.

– The first ski was a bit sensitive. The other had top grip. It was good skiing all the time. Should have left earlier. I went to the others. I started skiing with other people’s tactics, saving a couple of times for a long climb. It left quite a bitter taste. I was too confident going into the last round, Niskanen said.

Niskanen got corona at the beginning of the season and only returned to the World Cup at the Tour de Ski. The Finn left that too.

– The last two or three weeks have been good. I was pretty much on an absolute high. I’m sure I’m in good enough shape. There was nothing left to worry about from the season, Niskanen said and continued to set himself up.

– The common denominators are like this. P***a what a p***a at the end. The weaknesses of the joint starts and sprints were visible in the final hardness. No can do.

Finland took one World Cup medal from Planica’s World Cup skiing. After a 14-year break, Finland’s men took the relay medal from the prestige games, when Finland came behind Norway to win the World Championship silver.

– It doesn’t heat up at all. I set out to win this race. This is how it went. You can’t help but be angry with yourself. All the pieces were in place. Too bad, Niskanen decided.

The head coach reassured Niskas during the trip

Iivo Niskanen moved to the top of the race for the first time at 18.5 kilometers. Other Finns, on the other hand, had a hard time. Perttu Hyvärinen and Ville Ahonen went to change their skis after two laps, i.e. 14.1 kilometers. Hyvärinen, Ahonen and Cross mat Hakola had remained more than a minute away from the top at 18.5 kilometers.

Niskanen had complained during the race that his skis didn’t fit. Head coach Pasanen calmed down Iivo Niskas when the journey had covered more than 20 kilometers.

– Others start to slip there too, don’t hurry! Pasanen calmed down Niskas in the main crowd.

Niskanen collided with the Swede while changing skis

The leading group changed skis when there were only two laps left. Iivo Niskanen ran into Sweden by Jens Burman with. Burman had a tire untied on his mono, he had to stop and was a little behind the rest of the group.

Ten kilometers before the finish, there were ten skiers in the leading group. Pål Golberg pulled the crowd.

– Iivo Niskanen has not accumulated a lot of lead kilometers. Skiing doesn’t look bad in itself, but I would have liked him to have had the courage to try to make decisions earlier. That you don’t leave it to the last climb. It could also be that there is no room in the curries at the moment, Ville Nousiainen reflected in the commentary.

On the last lap in the long climb, we wondered if Niskanen was pretending to be tired or not.

There was a small drama in the top group when Golberg faltered and Niskanen fell.

In the last lap, Niskanen started to tear. About the Norwegians Didrik Tönseth dropped out. Seven men were still fighting for the medals.

Hakola received pressure from the maintenance man: “The Finnish soldier will not interrupt”

Among the other Finns, Perttu Hyvärinen and Ville Ahonen interrupted. Ristomatti Hakola was 33rd.

– Maintenance man Nättinen shouted that the Finnish soldier would not interrupt. I started to think that it was true, Hakola described.

– It was quite long, 50 kilometers. It’s sad when it doesn’t go at the beginning or at the end. I thought it couldn’t get any worse. So few race kilometers below that we’ll take it.

– Would never want to interrupt. A tight trip from the start. At no point did the body start working, Ville Ahonen said.

Ahonen stood out as the best Finn in the sprint with his tenth place. He originally had a plane ticket home for last Monday, but a sprint pull and Arsi Ruuskanen the injury changed the plans of the coaching staff.

– This was a positive trip. Clearly the best sprint of my career. There has been some waiting here, but I have been able to train well, Ahonen said and pondered the possibility of a blowout after a good sprint result to the final result of 50 kilometers.