Johannes Hösflot Kläbo Shines with Impressive Performance at the World Cup

What's Buzzing?

The main topic in the world of cross-country skiing right now is Johannes Hösflot Kläbo, Norway's superstar.

The top name in the sport returned to World Cup competitions after a three-week break in Switzerland's Engadin. Continuing from his dominance in the Tour de Ski, Kläbo picked up right where he left off.

He secured a brilliant first place in the sprint despite the challenge from Sweden's Edvin Anger. Kläbo glanced back at Anger several times down the homestretch before crossing the finish line.

"Kläbo has been crushing in the sprint for years, almost untouchable. Anger has recently been seemingly taunting him, trying to get under his skin," praised Kalle Lassila, Yle Sports' skiing expert, in the post-event review.

On Sunday, Kläbo was the clear winner in the 20-kilometer freestyle mass start competition. His actions in the final stretch revealed a lot again.

"Kläbo carried away the tough race at 1,800 meters altitude with showcase style. He didn't even have to sprint to the finish, Lassila exclaims.

This season is particularly special for Kläbo as he competes in the World Championships in his hometown of Trondheim.

"Kläbo's conditioning heading into the World Championships looks really strong," says Lassila.

Surprise?

From a Finnish perspective, the ski weekend didn't exactly bring cheers. However, there was one surprise: Emil Liekari had a breakthrough performance, finishing tenth in Saturday's sprint.

This marks Liekari's best-ever World Cup finish. He had previously only made it past the qualification round once, into the top 30.

The significance of this performance is heightened because Finns rarely do well at this distance in high altitude.

Lassila believes that with this result, Liekari has certainly secured a place in the sprint team for the World Championships. This was the last freestyle sprint before the championships.

"Emil made his way through to the next stages, and even the quarterfinals came strongly at that altitude. It was a really positive surprise," Lassila applauds.

Liekari made a splash in the stunning scenery of Engadin. Photo: EPA-EFE

Flop?

Lassila identifies the Finnish women as the flop of the Sunday 20-kilometer freestyle race.

Despite the absence of the biggest stars from Norway and Sweden, Kerttu Niskanen could only manage a 13th place as the best Finnish finisher, nearly a minute behind Norwegian winner Astrid Öyre Slind.

Lassila had predicted that Niskanen should battle for a podium position, and that Krista Pärmäkoski, who finished 21st, would be aiming for a top 10 finish.

Lassila reflected right after the race on Yle Sport Studio, noting that the Finnish skiers fell far from their standards.

"There can be many reasons, and surely there are, but the Finns were really far from their own level," Lassila stated later.

In the women's 20-kilometer mass start in Engadin, the top performers were Norway's Astrid Öyre Slind, Norway's Nora Sanness, and Sweden's Jonna Sundling.

However, Lassila believes that one cannot draw significant conclusions from the Engadin weekend regarding the upcoming World Championships, which will be held about 200 meters above sea level in Trondheim.

What's Next?

The last races before the World Championships in a couple of weeks took place in the biathlon World Cup. The final preparations for next year's Olympic host site in Anterselva provided plenty of surprises, including the implementation of bulletproof glass just before the finish line.

The finish line at the biathlon stadium had been modified so that shooting benches fire directly toward the skiers. Therefore, reinforced protection for the competitors was necessary.

"It's a bit nerve-wracking to see if the glass holds. They are firing directly at each other," Yle's reporter Petra Manner illustrates.

The unusual sight at the Olympic venue—bulletproof glass protecting athletes at the Anterselva biathlon stadium.

What’s Coming?

Finnish biathlon has been on an upward trajectory, but the final test did not go as hoped.

The national team was struck by a wave of illnesses in Anterselva. Initially, several support staff had to withdraw, followed by Venla Lehtonen. By Sunday, no Finnish male competitors participated due to illness.

Yle Sports' biathlon expert Kaisa Mäkäräinen states that there's nothing to be done about health issues. Nonetheless, she admits that the pre-World Championship performance of the biathletes was not as desired.

"Maybe we weren't completely prepared to come to high altitude," Mäkäräinen describes the quick transition into the tightly packed World Cup schedule at an altitude of 1,600 meters.

Finnish sensation Suvi Minkkinen also struggled with the rapid altitude adjustment, finishing 69th in the sprint event and not qualifying for the second personal race in Anterselva.

Now, in the final weeks leading up to the World Championships, Minkkinen will spend time at a higher altitude.

In biathlon, the World Championships will take place at a higher altitude compared to cross-country skiing. The height at the Swiss Championships in Lenzerheide will be 1,300 meters.

"A bad week won’t ruin Suvi's consistent performance. I believe that we can expect great results from Suvi at the World Championships once she fully acclimatizes to the altitude," Mäkäräinen evaluates.

Suvi Minkkinen is concerned about potential illness ahead of the World Championships, stating: "Crap is already hitting the fan."