Iivo Niskanen Rages at Norwegian and Kerttu Niskanen Angers Swede Amid Skiing Controversy

Iivo Niskanen was eliminated in the men's team sprint on Friday. Swedish skier Johanna Hagström was highly critical of Kerttu Niskanen’s performance.

The Cogne World Cup continued on Saturday with traditional sprint races in the classic style, and a ten-kilometer free technique race is scheduled for Sunday. However, the controversial events from Friday still dominate the discussions.

In the team sprint, Finland’s top men's team athletes Iivo Niskanen and Lauri Vuorinen were disqualified after Niskanen received his second yellow card of the season. According to the jury, Niskanen used an illegal skating technique during his transition from a turning stride to the flat section.

"The judging line was extremely strict. This is a good reminder for athletes. That’s the fine line, and it’s that subtle. Even at the Trondheim World Championships the line is equally strict," explained Yle expert Aino-Kaisa Saarinen.

Iivo Niskanen’s Outburst

Finland’s head coach Teemu Pasanen and Niskanen could not comprehend the decision. Niskanen hinted on Instagram that it seemed as though "Tor Arne" was against them, referring to the race official and former Norwegian skiing star Tor Arne Hetland. He went on to criticize the situation, suggesting that if the International Ski Federation (FIS) continues this way, he might consider switching to the Ski Classics circuit. Responding to his remark, the Ski Classics social media team welcomed him to their "family".

Niskanen also shared a video on Instagram, capturing the moment when his skating technique—deemed illegal by the officials—led to his disqualification.

Kerttu Niskanen’s Reaction

In the women’s race, Finnish skiers Kerttu Niskanen and Jasmi Joensuu celebrated victory. In a contrasting scene, Swedish competitor Johanna Hagström was furious, claiming that Niskanen had jumped ahead of her on the track without receiving a warning. Niskanen, who did not notice the incident during the race and was only informed of it during a post-race interview, was left puzzled by Hagström’s accusations. Kerttu Niskanen later responded directly to Hagström's remarks.

Ski Official Responses

According to SVT, Iivo Niskanen once told a race official that the jury should ski the courses themselves because he couldn’t understand what he could have done differently without compromising his balance. "I don’t know, they are clearly more knowledgeable than I am," Niskanen remarked.

FIS’s cross-country skiing competition manager Michal Lamplot addressed the claims on SVT, stating, "I can assure everyone that the jury members ski the courses many times before the races. We ensure that the track is laid out in the best possible way." He also noted that the technical delegate, Tor Arne Hetland—a celebrated Olympic and World Championship gold medalist—is highly respected and his skiing skills are not in question.

Hetland himself responded to Niskanen’s allegations in an interview with Dagbladet, expressing his respect for Iivo as an exceptionally skilled and stylish skier. He added that he always looks forward to seeing Iivo perform at his best in traditional competitions, and although this time things did not go as planned, he wished him luck for the next race.

Lamplot also commented on the situation involving Kerttu Niskanen and Hagström. Hagström, together with Maja Dahlqvist who finished second, claimed that Niskanen’s actions on the track had directly affected the outcome of the competition. Lamplot mentioned that while the incident on the track was somewhat unclear, any protests from Sweden should have been made immediately after the race rather than after the men’s final had finished.