Kerttu Niskanen Pulls Off a Huge Surprise by Defeating Therese Johaug – Krista Pärmäkoski Reveals Major Drama

Kerttu Niskanen was second in the 20-kilometer interval start race in Davos using the traditional skiing style. Norway's super star Therese Johaug finished third, trailing by 3.4 seconds.

Niskanen battled closely with Johaug for much of the race. At the 9.3 kilometer mark, the gap was just 1.1 seconds. By the 12.4 kilometer checkpoint, Johaug was only 1.8 seconds faster than Niskanen, with it looking like the Norwegian could push for victory.

However, towards the end, Niskanen's pace slowed compared to Johaug and Astrid Øyre Slind, who ultimately won the race by an impressive 10.1-second margin over Niskanen.

Yle Urheilu expert Ville Nousiainen praised Niskanen's podium finish as a significant achievement for Finnish women's skiing, noting how quickly she's improved since the start of the season.

Niskanen expressed her satisfaction with her performance despite some pre-race concerns about whether it would be too soon for her after a challenging start to the season. "It has been difficult. I'm relieved that I managed to ski to the podium," she stated. She was surprised by the tight competition but pleased she could keep Johaug behind her.

Krista Pärmäkoski rounded out a strong day for Finnish women by finishing fourth after a series of mishaps during the race. She struggled with equipment issues and muscle cramps but remained optimistic about her future performance, believing she could improve as the season goes on.

Astrid Øyre Slind's victory marked her first in the World Cup, and she expressed immense happiness and surprise at the win, especially considering the strong competition from Johaug.

Johaug herself acknowledged it was a tough race, citing a feeling of sickness during the competition and mentioning high altitude effects on her performance.

The World Cup standings for cross-country skiing continue to evolve, reflecting the remarkable performances from female skiers this season.