The Finnish team celebrated two medal days at the Youth Winter Olympics. Nelli-Lotta Karppelin won bronze in the women’s freestyle sprint competition
The combined Finnish comet Minja Korhonen on Monday, in supreme style, won the gold medal at the Youth Winter Olympics in Ganwon, South Korea.
In the Olympic scenery of Pyeongchang, Korhonen’s stamina was on point both on the normal hill and on the ski track. The longest jump of the mountain circuit, 103.5 meters, guaranteed Korhonen a safe first place on the ski course, and at a distance of four kilometers, the Siilinjärvi native stretched the gap to the Slovenian silver medalist to Teja Pavec to about 50 seconds.
– I got a really good jump on the hill, and I was able to start the skiing section with a confident feeling. You could do your own relaxed skiing in it, and you could ski in peace in itself, you didn’t have to worry too much about what was coming from behind. A really great race day today, Korhonen was happy In the announcement of the Olympic Committee.
Korhonen’s gold medal was expected, as the 16-year-old Savolainen has risen to the top of the women’s world cup this season. In mid-December in Ramsau, Korhonen reached the podium of the World Cup for the first time by finishing third.
Competed in the World Cup like Korhonen Heta Hirvonen fell narrowly to fourth place in Monday’s Olympic competition, while Slovenia Tia Malovrh won the bronze medal in skiing.
Korhosen and 15-year-old Hirvosen have a longer break from the World Cup circles ahead of them, because next week in Planica, Slovenia, the Junior World Ski Championships will be held. In Pyeongchang, Wednesday’s mixed team competition is still on the program.
Carpel inscription on bronze
The Finnish cross-country medal was also celebrated in Pyeongchang on Monday, when Nelli-Lotta Karppelin won bronze in the women’s freestyle skiing sprint competition. Karppelin from Liminga succumbed to the Swedish winner in the final stretch For Elsa Tänglander in just under half a second.
– It was really nice to ski here: there was a track that suited me. There was a long work section and (the track) was quite long for a sprint, 17-year-old Karppelin said.
The Finnish team has won a total of four medals (gold and three bronze) from the Games in South Korea.