Delicious Opportunity for Jasmi Joensuu – Aino-Kaisa Saarinen Charges Up Finnish Expectations for the Weekend

Jasmi Joensuu sees a delicious opportunity in the sprint event this weekend, as Finnish hopes are charged up by Aino-Kaisa Saarinen’s energetic outlook. The cross‐country skiing World Cup continues in Cogne, Italy, with a schedule that includes the traditional pair sprint on Friday, an individual sprint on Saturday, and free-style 10 km interval races on Sunday.

On Friday, the pair sprint qualification will be held at 12:20 followed by the final at 14:20. Saturday features the sprint qualification at 11:30 and the sprint final at 14:00. Then on Sunday, the men’s 10 km and the women’s 10 km free-style races kick off at 11:00 and 14:00 respectively.

Saarinen reminds readers that relay legs for the World Championships in Trondheim are only decided during the event, leaving room for interpretation about medal potential. In the pair sprint, she believes that alongside Iivo Niskanen, either Joni Mäki or Lauri Vuorinen could emerge as medal contenders.

Recent competition in Engadin illustrated that even when obstacles occur – as Jasmi Joensuu, who finished ninth in the sprint qualification there, demonstrated – a gap in the strongest pull of competitors can open up a window of opportunity in sprint events. Currently, Jonna Sundling leads the sprint cup, with Joensuu close on her heels.

The Finnish teams are well-prepared for Cogne. In the women’s pair sprint, Kerttu Niskanen partners with Jasmi Joensuu, while Krista Pärmäkoski teams up with Jasmin Kähärä. For the men, Iivo Niskanen is set to race with Lauri Vuorinen, and Ristomatti Hakola is paired with Joni Mäki.

In contrast, key names from the Swedish team – including Frida Karlsson, Ebba Andersson, Jonna Sundling, Linn Svahn, William Poromaa, and Jens Burman – are absent, just as top Norwegian athletes like Therese Johaug, Johannes Kläbo, and Kristine Stavås Skistad will not be competing. Saarinen expects many Finnish athletes, such as Perttu Hyvärinen and Remi Lindholm, to seize the remaining opportunities and build momentum for the upcoming World Championships.

Furthermore, Saarinen notes that many are looking forward to a brief rest during these races before gearing up for the World Cup in Falun in mid-February. With several races offering a chance for impressive podium finishes, this weekend could be a turning point for Finland’s skiing season.