Iivo Niskanen's Comments Surprised – Aino-Kaisa Saarinen Disagrees on Sports Studio Aftermath

What’s Happening?

Finnish alpine skiing prospect Eduard Hallberg became the main topic of discussion during the Sports Studio weekend. The 21-year-old performed impressively at the Levi World Cup, finishing eighth in the first round of the slalom. Unfortunately, he faced setbacks in the second round, dropping to 24th place, but this marked his first World Cup points, a significant achievement as it had been 11 years since a Finnish man scored slalom points in the World Cup.

Hallberg's performance excited the audience in Levi and even brought tears to Yle's alpine skiing experts, with legendary figure Kalle Palander praising Hallberg's unique skills. "He has an ability that I cannot even explain, something unprecedented among Finnish slalom athletes," Palander asserted. Hallberg's season continues next weekend in Gurgl, Austria, with more slalom races.

Surprises

The biggest surprises of the Sports Studio weekend came from cross-country skiing during the Tykkikisa events in Olos. Well-known sprinters Jasmi Joensuu and Juuso Haarala made headlines with their impressive performances on the traditional distance courses. Anne Kyllönen and Arsi Ruuskanen also performed surprisingly well in the free technique events on Sunday.

Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, a cross-country skiing expert at Yle, highlighted that despite the Finnish Ski Federation's financial issues discussed before the season, the strong contingent of surprise performers showcased that the athletes' innovative solutions were working effectively.

"Haarala's decision to move to Norway for training was bold and it appears to have paid off," Saarinen reflected.

Disappointments?

A definitive disappointment wasn't evident in winter sports over the weekend, but long-time Finnish skiing star Krista Pärmäkoski struggled significantly in both of her races.

Pärmäkoski was outperformed by her compatriots in the traditional event, notably finishing behind Jasmi Joensuu and Kerttu Niskanen. In the free technique, she was overshadowed once again, concluding the race behind Niskanen, Anne Kyllönen, and Jasmin Kähärä. Saarinen noted that Pärmäkoski often faces tough conditions in Olos but expects her speed to dramatically improve in subsequent weekends.

What’s Next?

Looking ahead in cross-country skiing, athletes will have a preview of the Ruka World Cup opening next weekend as they compete in the Finnish Cup on the same tracks. Discussions are already focused on the competition schedule, with a sprint in the traditional technique set for Saturday and a 20km mass start in free technique on Sunday. Regarding the race format, Saarinen pointed out that it could disadvantage some competitors—especially those used to the traditional distances.

A hot topic remains the rule barring foreign athletes from the Finnish Cup. Several elite teams expressed a desire to compete if the participation rules were more inclusive. Saarinen has voiced concerns over these regulations for years, emphasizing the potential benefits of opening up the competition to international athletes to enhance the competitiveness of Finnish skiers.

"It would be advantageous for Finnish athletes to benchmark their abilities against international competition," she concluded.