What on earth? Iivo Niskanen was crushed in the WC – this is how he explained his real surprise selection | Sport

Cross mat Hakola won the 20-kilometer traditional cross-country intermediate start race at the Vantaa WC in a dominating manner.

Jämin Jänteen Hakola hit Niko Anttolan with 25.8 seconds. Lauri Lepistö was 32.5 seconds behind the leader.

However, it became the biggest topic of conversation Iivo Niskanen solution. Niskanen pulled all the way with a flat push.

Before the competition, Niskanen chose to go to the terrains of Hakunila without grip cream, with the so-called equal push. In wet weather, the skid advantage was not as significant as it would have been on the icy and hard track that prevailed even earlier in the week.

At 8.5 kilometers, Niskanen was 16.5 seconds behind Hakola. At 12 kilometers, the difference to Hakola was 32.8 seconds. At the finish, Niskanen was eighth, 1.53.4 ahead of the leader.

Niskanen was well over a minute behind Lepistö, who skied for bronze.

‘s commentary Kimmo Porttila and expert Ville Nousiainen realized Niskanen’s solution when the Olympic champion was shown on the hill before the 3.4 kilometer intermediate point.

– Iivo Niskanen, pushing even!

– Well, this was a game move, Nousianen continued with a laugh.

Niskanen was quiet in the interview after the race. He explained his choice with yesterday’s track test.

– Yesterday I tried the track and thought it was an ice slide. But yes, at the time it was a new snow vesicle. The weather was a bit of a surprise today. I just couldn’t bear to finish that… it wasn’t quite optimal.

How was the mood today?

– Probably not… the capacity, is it the eighth best Finn today. It was kind of a bet, nothing to it.

Niskanen did not yet know if he would compete in the pair sprint on Sunday. He also won’t go to North America for the World Cup next week.

What are the priorities in your training?

– If you pushed the tasuer a little, then you would be able to push.

Ranked ninth, lost to Niskanen by a couple of seconds Niilo Moilanen commented on the star skier’s tie-breaking decision while Niskanen’s race was still in progress.

– Iivo has a jerk up his sleeve. On the cross-country skiing track, Iivo asked me if you were holding or not. I told him that you would. Iivo said that you still have to train a lot in Kuopio in the summer. I still didn’t have enough guts to start skiing with a flat push, Moilanen smiled.

After spring 2018, Iivo Niskanen had won every SC competition he had entered. In April 2018, he was third in the traditional sprint.
On a normal trip, Niskanen last lost in his home country in April 2016 in Taivalvaara. At that time, he was silver in the 7.5-kilometer traditional and 15-kilometer freestyle pursuit.

Ristomatti Hakola did not believe in victory

Ristomatti Hakola was able to celebrate the eighth SM gold of his career, even though the competition itself was not the easiest. The last time Hakola celebrated the SM gold in the traditional skiing sprint was in Tampere a year ago.

– At first I thought that this was out of control in any way. Fortunately, Iivo had a slightly heavier load today. Lepistö and Anttola smouldered for a long time, Hakola said.

Hakola commented briefly on Niskanen’s surprising choice of skis and equal push.

– He is probably the only one who can do that. Today it wasn’t enough.

Hakola said that she has been suffering from a slight flu during the SC skis.

– It has been a bit taxing. Of course, I am satisfied with the Finnish championship. They rarely come, especially when that monster is there, Hakola said, referring to Niskasee.