Head Coach Concerned About Finnish Women's Ski Team – Is Sprint Performance a Reason?

Head Coach Concerned About Finnish Women's Ski Team – Is Sprint Performance a Reason?

The Finnish women's cross-country team is facing challenges at the start of the season in normal distance events. In contrast, upcoming expectations rest on their performance in sprint races, particularly after positive outcomes in Ruka.

Coach Teemu Pasanen expressed his concern regarding the pace of women in normal distance races during this season, highlighting Kerttu Niskanen's position as the top-performing Finnish skier, finishing only 20th, which is significantly behind the winner Therese Johaug by two minutes. Niskanen has been slow to find her rhythm early in the season, whereas in previous years, she has demonstrated strong performances during the Tour de Ski, indicating her capability when adapted to longer distances.

Despite the struggles, Pasanen sees potential in the sprinters, as evidenced by five Finnish women reaching the top twelve in the sprint category during the Ruka event. He believes both Niskanen and Krista Pärmäkoski, who was unavailable for the last competition due to national celebrations, can improve as the season progresses.

Pasanen underlined the significant gap between Finnish athletes and the top competitors in normal distance events, which poses a challenge for improvement. For the sprint event, expectations are riding high, especially with athletes like Jasmi Joensuu and Jasmin Kähärä performing well recently.

action is highlighted by the strong performance of Anne Kyllönen in the sprint category last week, where she competed for a spot in the finals, showcasing the competency present in the Finnish squad.

As the upcoming sprint race in Lillehammer approaches, expectations remain high, and the focus shifts to the sprinting format, where recent results have generated optimism compared to the normal distance segments.