Big Finnish Surprise at the World Ski Championships: Emil Liekari Shines, Jasmi Joensuu Criticizes Herself

Emil Liekari reached the top ten in the Engadin sprint and achieved his best-ever World Cup result. Joni Mäki demonstrated signs of improvement and was the best-performing Finnish athlete of the day.

Emil Liekari showed remarkable improvement during the Engadin World Cup sprint, which was the last free style sprint before the World Championships in Trondheim. He finished well, improving his previous career best of 16th place from the sprint in Ruka last November.

This event was pivotal as the sprint on February 27 marked just over a month before the World Championships.

Yle's sports expert Kalle Lassila had predicted strong competitors for the upcoming sprint in Trondheim, including Lauri Vuorinen, Niilo Moilanen, and Joni Mäki, with a fourth spot that was competitive. Liekari has now made a convincing claim for that position.

"A strong performance from Liekari right now," praised Lassila post-race.

Among those vying for the coveted fourth spot in the Finnish men's sprint, Verneri Suhonen, Wiljam Mattila, and Eero Rantala were eliminated during the qualification round in Engadin.

In the men's sprint heat 1, Emil Liekari finished third, advancing on time. However, in heat 1 semi finals, Liekari's pace was not sufficient to reach the finals.

Liekari's struggles before Christmas were evident at the Davos World Cup when he was eliminated during the heats, leading to harsh self-criticism.

"These mediocre performances can be pinned down to small details determining the outcome. This year we've been underwhelming many times. I wouldn't be mad at all if I had to call it quits on these sprints right now. I’d prefer to focus on distance races, where at least I’ve had better performances. The holiday break came at a good time for me," Liekari said.

Joni Mäki also showed signs of progress as he advanced to the semi finals for the first time this season, finishing eighth overall. Mäki expressed confusion after the Davos free sprint but bounced back compared to earlier races.

Lassila pointed out that Mäki's situation has taken a positive turn, with his speed and relaxation during races improving significantly.

In the men's sprint heat 5, Mäki advanced to the semi finals based on a photo finish.

Jasmi Joensuu, who entered as the leader of the sprint cup, unfortunately, fell short of making the finals, finishing fifth in her semi-final and ninth overall.

"There was a lack of sharpness in the end, and not much capacity left for the race. I lost speed on the slopes compared to my competitors. I couldn't get back into the race at that point," Joensuu said.

Despite having the second-fastest time in the qualifying round, Joensuu was unable to maintain her pace to achieve another finalist position.

Coach Ville Oksanen remarked that securing three top-10 finishes was a pleasant surprise as the race was held at an altitude of 1,800 meters above sea level.

"A few years back, these high-altitude sprints seemed a bit slower. The improvement in performance is evident this season," Oksanen highlighted.