In Beijing, Finland was left without a relay medal. Fresh skiers are needed for the relay in Planica, writes Urheilu’s news manager Pekka Aalto.
12:19•Updated 12:34
The selections for the World Cup in skiing are unlikely to be a big fight. A team of 17 athletes will go to Planica from Finland, which was announced on Tuesday morning. The list was as expected.
The country quota is strict in the Olympic Games, but not in the World Cup, which is why there was no need to make really brutal choices and eliminations.
The raw game only starts in Planica, when the coaching team announces their trip-specific selections. They measure leadership and the ability to think about the Games as a whole. Athletes have their own thoughts and opinions, but you have to dare to really lead the coaching.
In practice, it means that not every wish of athletes is fulfilled.
Traditionally, the biggest twist is directed at the relay teams. Prestige places are prepared for months, and being selected for the relay is the greatest possible demonstration of trust for the athlete. This is because, in the eyes of the skiing public, the relays arouse the most passions, which is why there is a lot to be won and lost in those events. The success of the message choices determines to a large extent what kind of image is left of the coaching skills.
Germany and Sweden seized the opportunity
The Finns went excellently at the Beijing Olympic skiing, except for the relays where the medals ran away. It was a big disappointment considering the starting point – Finland had a lot of top-fit skiers and a capable maintenance team in Zhangjiakou.
However, Finland entered a familiar pitfall.
For women, the traditional ten was two days before the message. In both games, Finland was represented by the same foursome in the relay skiing order Anne Kyllönen, Johanna Matintalo, Kerttu Niskanen and Krista Pärmäkoski. In the message, none of them actually failed, but Finland came in fourth. All the medalists had at least one fresh skier.
The Russians, who took gold, had an anchor Veronika Stepanova, who did not participate in ten. Even two young women skied in the German and Swedish relay quartets.
In the men’s race, none of the relay medalists fielded the same team as they did in the 15 km two days earlier. Not Finland either, of course, but Cross mat Hakolan and Perttu Hyvärinen going tired took chances, not fresh Joni Mäki got to fight for medals as an anchor.
Flutes for Piipo and Lindholm?
In Planica, the program is similar to most value races. After the 10 and 15 km intermediate start races, the athletes have one day off before the relay.
Now we come to a critical point for Finland. The situation opens up opportunities, especially when the intermediate starts are skied in free, and there are no great medal expectations.
Matintalo and Hakola, who offer messages, are not participating in the intermediate race in any case, which already helps significantly.
This time, the Finnish relay teams must have at least two fresh athletes in both the women’s and men’s relay.
The penultimate mistake would be to make the interim race a display place for the message. These have also been seen over the years. Competing countries coldly rest their athletes for the relay, and the Finns in places 10-30 are blowing each other’s fatigue.
According to Finns, the most “problematic” skiers are Eveliina Piippo and Remi Lindholm. For them, the free time trial is clearly the best personal journey in the World Championships, but they are in tough terrain with a strong push for posts.
I take my hat off to the Finnish coaches, if they dare to cancel the doubles free competition and send Piipo and Lindholm fresh to the World Cup relay.