Jasmi Joensuu Fights for Glory at Davos Sprint, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen Ponders Finnish Women's Dry Spell on the Podium

Yle's expert Ville Nousiainen emphasized the need for Jasmi Joensuu to improve her curve skiing technique. Joensuu explained her challenges during the race, attributing some of the difficulties to Norwegian star Lotta Udnes Weng's actions during the sprint.

Watch the decisive moments of the women's sprint final in Davos!

Jasmi Joensuu finished fifth in the free-style sprint at the Davos World Cup, fighting for a podium spot but fell behind in the final curve. Norwegian athletes Mathilde Myhrvold, Julie Myhre, and Lotta Udnes Weng overtook her, while Sweden's Jonna Sundling took a decisive victory.

Joensuu advanced to the finals after placing fourth in her semi-final heat.

"Jasmi fought really well. She struggled in the semi-finals and regrouped for the finals. I think she held back a bit in the early rounds to save energy for the last 50 meters. She maintained her position but the final kick and curve did not go well," said Yle Sports expert Ville Nousiainen right after the commentary.

"Jasmi fell behind and lost balance on her skis. She needs to put more effort into that. She could then secure podium spots if she improves in that area."

Joensuu had already faced difficulties in the last curve during the semi-finals. She explained the situation with Lotta Udnes Weng, recalling how Weng had broken her pole during the 2022 Peking Olympics. The two were close to colliding again in the semi-finals.

• "In the semi-finals, my pole was stuck between her legs. I thought, 'I hope we don’t break poles again.' Lotta and I have been in near misses many times. Today was no exception. Luckily, our gear remained intact," Joensuu described in her interview with Yle Sports.

Rare Podium Finish Eludes

If Joensuu had reached the podium, it would have been quite rare. The last Finnish woman to be on the podium in a free-style sprint at the World Cup was back in 2009 in Davos, when it was Aino-Kaisa Saarinen who achieved that feat.

This was Joensuu's second time in a free-style sprint final. She has reached the finals three times in classic skiing. Last time she competed in a free-style sprint final was in Lahti last March.

• "In the semi-finals, I needed to keep the pressure on Jonna. I advanced on time. I felt good heading into the final. However, the last curve was not good. If the podium waits until the World Championships or the Olympics, we can take that there," Joensuu remarked.

Joensuu's early season has been successful. She's now ranked third in the sprint cup.

• "I’ve never felt so good at this height. Four years in Denver is paying off now," Joensuu quipped, referencing Davos's location over 1500 meters above sea level and her time in North America during university.

• "Finishing third is a cool deal. It's great that hard work is finally paying off," she added.

Aino-Kaisa Saarinen Reflects on Statistics

Much like Ville Nousiainen, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen noticed Joensuu's skiing performance as compared to Lotta Udnes Weng. She observed that Joensuu's pelvis tends to push back during the final descent, which Saarinen sees as typical for Joensuu when the pressure is on. In such moments, speed tends to decrease as well.

• "This didn’t come down to tripping over with Lotta, but it was an excellent day of competition for Jasmi," Saarinen commented.

The statistical fact concerning Finnish women going without a podium finish for 15 years sounded grim to Saarinen.

• "It's high time for someone to step up on the podium. We were very close this time. I can’t say why we aren’t succeeding in free-style sprints. If someone could find a philosopher’s stone for that problem, we’d be all good," Saarinen exclaimed.

For the 15-time championship medalist Saarinen, her success came more often in free-style sprints than in longer distances.

• "It has become the worst distance for Finns. This needs to change for the World Championships in late February and early March," Saarinen stressed, emphasizing more potential should have made it through the group stages rather than just the four that did.

• "More Finnish athletes should have reached the group stages. We fall short in the average scores," Saarinen pointed out.

Results from the World Cup in cross-country skiing on December 14.