Jasmi Joensuu Approaches Her Great Dream – Aspires to be Like a Ski Sprint Star

Jasmi Joensuu is poised to reach her dream of securing her first personal podium finish in the World Cup next week in Ruka. Based on her performance in the Finnish Cup held in Ruka, Joensuu appears to be in excellent form.

Joensuu won the sprint event of the Finnish Cup convincingly at the World Cup cross-country ski tracks in Ruka. Competing in classical technique, she outpaced other top Finnish women, including Katri Lylynperä and Johanna Matintalo, by a significant margin.

Lylynperä finished in second place, followed closely by Matintalo.

"Jasmi Joensuu showed that she is in World Cup shape. She was the clear winner of the day," stated Yle Urheilu's analyst Ville Nousiainen during the broadcast.

Joensuu executed a steady day in the sprints.

"The goal was to increase speed from heat to heat. I had a good time in the qualifying rounds, but my grip wasn’t perfect. I couldn't push as effectively as in the heats. Nonetheless, I skied strongly at the end in the finals," Joensuu commented.

Joensuu reflected on how well she handled a challenging uphill sprint. A few years ago, she failed to advance in the qualifying rounds at the Ruka World Cup, but she was impressed by Italian sprint star Federico Pellegrino’s performance on that uphill slope at the time.

"It left a lasting impression on me how Pellegrino effortlessly climbed that incline. It was simply amazing. I sometimes think that I want to be as strong as Pellegrino," she added.

"I felt I had good speed. I noted yesterday that if I can create distance from others, that’s a good sign. This was a solid rehearsal for the competition."

Joensuu found herself surprised by the strong lineup in the finals.

The 28-year-old Finn feels she must trust herself even more.

"I haven’t had the chance to win these heats very often. I need to trust myself more. There are opportunities to truly ski for my dreams."

Joensuu Dominates Women's Sprint

Matintalo is currently dealing with some lower leg issues.

National team members Jasmin Kähärä and Krista Pärmäkoski both made it to the semifinals but didn’t advance.

Matintalo, who has reached the podium at World Cup level in past sprint events, is dealing with some leg discomfort recently.

"I haven’t been able to train optimally. My leg usage has been minimal in the past week. It was a challenging condition, so I struggled to get my skis functioning properly. It drained my energy every time I had to run on the side of the trail in each heat," she explained.

Matintalo acknowledged that she felt the pain but is not overly concerned about it.

"I could feel it throughout, but I’ve been working with physiotherapists. I dared to ski despite the discomfort."

Lauri Vuorinen took the top spot in the men's sprint.

Vuorinen overcame initial sluggishness in the heats.

Last season, he shined in the World Cup circuit and took the top spot in the men's event before Joni Mäki and Emil Liekari.

In earlier heats, it seemed unlikely that Vuorinen would contest for victory.

"I was sluggish in the qualifying rounds. I was surprised by how well I skated in the finals. There, I had unquestionably the best performance of the day. It was just sluggish earlier in the day," Vuorinen stated.

Vuorinen revealed that after the previous weekend's event in Oloksen, he hadn't done much high-intensity training, which explained his sluggishness.

"The initial rounds were more about warming up. This week has been about skiing at quite relaxed speeds."

Results of Ruka Finnish Cup, Women's Sprint (Classic):

1. Jasmi Joensuu 3:08.31
2. Katri Lylynperä +2.90
3. Johanna Matintalo +3.18
4. Amanda Saaru +3.76
5. Anne Kyllönen +6.41
6. Anni Alakoski +10.97

Results of Ruka Finnish Cup, Men's Sprint (Classic):

1. Lauri Vuorinen 2:43.19
2. Joni Mäki +0.90
3. Emil Liekari +0.91
4. Niilo Moilanen +2.84
5. Juuso Haarala +4.42
6. Marko Kilp +14.08

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