Johanna Matintalo Faces the Biggest Test of Her Rehabilitation in Falun – 'I Hope to Be Positively Surprised'

Johanna Matintalo is finally ready to return to serious competition as she takes part in the upcoming World Cup event in Falun. This marks a significant milestone in her rehabilitation journey after suffering from a calf injury that obliged her to drop out of the Tour de Skin before its penultimate stage.

Following the Tour, Matintalo and her team implemented a strict rehab program with the aim of having her ready by the time of the Falun races. The rehabilitation schedule proceeded as planned, and she expressed relief and excitement for competing again. “I’ve been looking forward to this for many weeks. It has been a long wait since early January and the beginning of February,” she said.

During her rehab period, Matintalo participated in the Finnish Cup and three World Cup weekends. Although she did not watch all her races due to the intensity of the competition, the process has only increased her motivation. She also mentioned that the injury did not sideline her completely, and she still has strong chances of reaching the World Championships in Trondheim.

Matintalo acknowledges that she hasn’t been able to prepare optimally for the competition weekend, particularly since her injury affected her traditional training methods. However, she is confident in her basic form – especially in the classical style – and aims to come as close as possible to her best performance.

Her workout last weekend, during the Vantaa Finnish Cup, was intense but emotionally rewarding. Now, with a couple more weeks to fine-tune her performance, she hopes to build on that positive feeling. “I am curious to see how far I can push myself in Falun, and then I can compare that to my training session. With a few more weeks, everything should only improve,” she remarked.

Looking ahead, Matintalo is realistic about her expectations for both Falun and the following World Championships in Trondheim. While she is not fixated on specific rankings, she hopes for a respectable result that makes her feel good on the skis. “If I feel better and achieve a good result in Falun, I will be more confident heading into Trondheim. I hope to be positively surprised,” she added.

Throughout her rehabilitation, Matintalo has been very cautious, aware that even a minor setback could derail her plans. With help from Jasmi Joensuu and Jasmin Kähärä – who aided her when her calf pain became too severe – she has managed to keep her program on track. Falun will be the true test of how her leg reacts to competitive load, and if all goes well, she believes she can finally breathe a sigh of relief after a demanding period of recovery.

The Falun World Cup weekend features a sprint race in classical style on Friday, a 10-kilometer classical race on Saturday, and a 20-kilometer mass start race in free technique on Sunday.

Note: Yle does not have broadcast rights for the Falun races. However, the competitions are being followed closely on Yle’s other broadcasts, the Yle Urheilu website, and the Yle app.