Ill Perttu Hyvärinen Deems World Championship Trip to Trondheim Unrealistic – 'Only Tens of a Percent Chance'

Perttu Hyvärinen, who had been performing at a high level earlier in the season, visited a doctor in Kuopio on Tuesday due to symptoms that led to a diagnosis of A-influenza and rhinovirus. Despite his past successes – including a promising start at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and a valuable medal-winning performance at the 2023 World Championships in Planica – his recent illness has put his participation in the upcoming World Championships in Trondheim into serious doubt.

Hyvärinen, 33, had managed to compete in four World Cup events this season and was in good enough shape to make the national team, with expectations of being a key member in the 4x7.5 km relay. However, on Tuesday it became clear that his season’s ambitions would have to be shelved. The Finnish Ski Association announced that Hyvärinen has fallen ill and will miss at least his opening 10+10 km combined race.

In an optimistic press release, the association noted that while his condition might be seen in just tenths of a percent on the probability scale, the goal at the World Championships is to achieve success rather than taking risks with health variables. Hyvärinen himself expressed skepticism about his ability to make it to Trondheim, remarking that the odds were barely in his favor.

The unfolding situation is of particular concern for the Finnish team. With both Hyvärinen and his teammate Iivo Niskanen, who also experienced a significant bout of illness after a World Cup race in Falun, likely missing the championships, the team faces a generational turnover. As Hyvärinen joked, “The old guard, like Ristomatti Hakola from the early 1990s, is being replaced,” even though he has decided not to watch the championships in Norway.

Pekka Holopainen

Image captions: - The first image shows Perttu Hyvärinen, taken by Tomi Hänninen / Yle. - The second image features Iivo Niskanen, who recently won an intermediate start at the Falun World Cup, with Johannes Hösflot Kläbo and Erik Valnes trailing behind.