Finland’s Big Day in the Skiing World Cup? Here Are the Strong Duos for Friday’s Team Sprint

Finland is heading to the skiing World Cup with a strong group for the weekend’s competitions in Italy’s Cognessa, which kicks off with a traditional team sprint on Friday, followed by a sprint on Saturday and a 10‐kilometer interval start on Sunday.

The Finnish Ski Association announced their teams for the opening leg of the team sprint on Thursday evening. Both the women’s and men’s sides are represented by two teams. For the women’s first team, the duo consists of Kerttu Niskanen and Jasmi Joensuu, while the second team features Krista Pärmäkoski and Jasmin Kähärä. On the men’s side, the top team is formed by Iivo Niskanen and Lauri Vuorinen, with Ristomatti Hakola and Joni Mäki making up the second team.

Iivo Niskanen comes with an impressive record in the team sprint, having secured Olympic gold in 2014 (with Sami Jauhojärvi), Olympic silver in 2022 (with Joni Mäki), and a World Championship bronze in 2017 (with Jauhojärvi). Lauri Vuorinen, who showed promise in the early season sprint in Ruka with a third-place finish and subsequent top-ten placements, might finally be on track to win his first major championship medal if he competes in the middle-distance events alongside Niskanen.

On the women’s side, Finland has a storied history in the team sprint. In the Olympics, Finnish women have celebrated medal success twice – with silver in 2014 taken by Aino-Kaisa Saarinen and Kerttu Niskanen, and bronze in 2006 by Saarinen and Virpi Kuitunen. At the World Championships, the Finnish women claimed medals in five consecutive events between 2005 and 2013; the most recent being a bronze in 2013 by the duo Riikka Sarasoja-Lilja and Krista Pärmäkoski (then known as Lähteenmäki).

With Jasmi Joensuu showing outstanding sprint form and Kerttu Niskanen renowned for her classic skiing technique, the Finnish women are considered strong medallists. Meanwhile, for the men, the battle for a spot on the World Championship team is set to be fierce, with Vuorinen and Mäki both vying for a place alongside the experienced Niskanen.

The event schedule is as follows:

Friday - 12.20: Qualification round for the team sprint - 14.20: Team sprint finals

Saturday - 11.30: Qualification round for the sprint - 14.00: Sprint finals

Sunday - 11.00: Men’s 10 km interval start - 14.00: Women’s 10 km interval start

Although Yle does not hold the broadcasting rights for the event, the competition can be followed via the Yle app, Urheiluradio, and Urheiluruutu.

Additional links provide further insights into related skiing topics and responses from other sporting figures, underscoring a busy weekend in the world of Nordic skiing.