Iivo Niskanen’s Illness is ‘an Extreme Blow’ to Finland’s World Championships Team – Harsh Expert Remarks

Finnish medal hopes at this week’s Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim are largely pinned on the dominant Iivo Niskanen. However, the team’s ambitions took a hard hit when Niskanen revealed to Ilta-Sanomat that he had contracted influenza after the Falun World Cup weekend. His manager, Miro Rousku, also confirmed the illness to Yle Sports.

Niskanen has indicated that he will definitely miss the combination event scheduled for Saturday and may be unable to join any further race trips. His main race – a 10 km classic – is set for Tuesday next week. Despite taking extensive measures throughout the season to stay healthy, Niskanen lamented to IS that the past three seasons have been plagued by misfortune, and he now risks missing his first major competition entirely.

Head coach Teemu Pasanen confirmed that Niskanen will not participate in Saturday’s combination race and expressed hope that his recovery will allow him to compete during the second week of the championships. “He probably won’t be at 100 percent yet, but we’ll take it day by day,” Pasanen said. He expressed regret over the turn of events for both the team and Niskanen himself, recalling how his victory in the Falun 10 km trial had set high expectations for the season.

Yle Sports skiing expert Kalle Lassila added that falling ill so close to the championships is bound to affect the skier’s explosive performance. “This situation looks really dire. It’s rare that an infection would immediately knock an athlete out of peak condition and readiness for the season’s main goal,” Lassila explained. He noted that while there are still opportunities in the classic 10 km – a race that only features a few competitors of Niskanen’s caliber – the chances are diminished. Additionally, Niskanen’s potential absence could significantly weaken Finland’s prospects in the men’s relay and team sprint events.

Niskanen’s illness is widely seen as an extreme blow to Finland’s medal hopes. It is not the first time in his career he has been sidelined by sickness; earlier in the season, he had to skip events such as the Tour de Skin. The news of his illness has been picked up by media outlets in other countries as well. For instance, Norway’s NRK and Dagbladet have covered the story, with Norwegian coach Harald Östberg Amundsen commenting skeptically on Niskanen’s statements.

Overall, the Finnish team now faces a major challenge. With one of its key athletes potentially out of the running, the nation’s overall medal chances at the championships could be severely affected. Readers can find more news and discussions about the World Ski Championships on Yle’s dedicated page.