Iivo Niskanen Furious: Harsh Accusation Against Norwegian Boss

Cross-country skier Iivo Niskanen’s day began with promise in the team sprint qualification, but ended in disappointment when his performance was ruled invalid due to the use of a skating technique during a race that required classical style. According to the judges, Niskanen used a skating style when transitioning from a diagonal stride into the track, a move that led to him receiving his second yellow card of the season. As a result, the team – which included his teammate Lauri Vuorinen and finished sixth in the qualification – was disqualified and did not advance to the final.

The incident also saw American skier James Clinton Schoonmaker receive a yellow card for using the skating technique, although he was not disqualified. During a Viaplay broadcast, early speculation suggested that Niskanen’s tactical error might have come from an early use of a double-push in the transition zone. However, Niskanen later shared a clip on Instagram showing exactly the moment in question, emphasizing that he indeed used the skating technique while shifting from a “V-style” to the track.

In his Instagram post, Niskanen quoted the decision as criticizing the use of skating in a traditional race setting. He even tagged former sprint star and technical expert Tor Arne Hetland, questioning if no one else had made the same move in the final. Niskanen insinuated that Hetland might have personal issues with his team, and went on to call his former Finnish head coach, Magnar Daleniin – now working with the Ski Classics team – as being partly responsible for the controversial ruling.

In a subsequent interview with Viaplay before the team sprint final, Niskanen expressed his disbelief at the decision. He noted that if the tracks are prepared in a certain way, it seems impossible to switch from a V-style to the correct technique without using elements of skating. He lamented the situation on behalf of his teammate Vuorinen, describing it as an unprecedented issue that might force him to focus on Ski Classics if such judging inconsistencies continue.

Additionally, the article mentions that Finland’s second team, consisting of Ristomatti Hakola and Joni Mäki, finished fifth in a race won by the Norwegians.

Updated 1 February 2025 at 01:01 to clarify the reasons for Niskanen’s disqualification and include additional video evidence.