Johanna Matintalo's season ends before Salpaus – an injury discovered in the other calf as well

Johanna Matintalo's season has been marked by setbacks as her challenges continued with another injury. In November, she struggled with a right calf injury, which worsened during the Tour de Ski leading to a tendon rupture. Fortunately, she managed to rehabilitate her leg enough to compete in the World Championships in Trondheim. However, upon returning to Finland, she experienced pain in her previously healthy left calf, which was subsequently diagnosed to have a partial tear.

Taking to Instagram, Matintalo announced that her season is over, and she will not compete in the Lahti World Cup this weekend or any domestic competitions later this spring.

She stated that she took significant risks during her rehabilitation for the right leg injury, making many compromises due to time pressures.

"Last Saturday, I felt pain in my left calf, which had previously been unaffected. Upon returning to Finland, the injury was examined, and an injury was also revealed in this calf," she wrote.

Despite this setback, she remains hopeful, as the new injury is considerably less severe than the previous one on her right leg. However, she emphasized that the situation is difficult and will require careful rehabilitation without pressure to rush.

Throughout this season, Matintalo has experienced the harsh realities of elite sports. "The last four months have possibly been the most challenging of my career so far. Thankfully, the remarkable performances of my loved ones this winter have also given me strength," she expressed, referring to the World Championship medals won by her partner, Lauri Vuorinen.