Krista Pärmäkoski’s Decision Surprises Even Aino-Kaisa Saarinen: 'But I’m Not a Dog Owner'

What’s Causing the Stir?

In a World Cup cross-country skiing race, the judging panel took a stringent stance. Already on Friday, Finland’s top skier Iivo Niskanen and the Finnish first team were disqualified after Niskanen received his second yellow card of the season for using skating technique following a diagonal stride in the traditional style sprint.

Niskanen was not happy with the decision and wondered if technical director Tor Arne Hetland had something against the Finns. The Finnish star even hinted at the possibility of switching to the long-distance Ski Classics circuit if the same approach continued at the International Ski Federation (FIS) level.

In the women’s sprint on Saturday, Sweden’s Johanna Hagström was disqualified for accumulating too many warnings during the interval start zone. Over the weekend, similar yellow cards were handed out for technical errors to Hedda Bakkemo, Alina Meier, Ristomatti Hakola, Miha Simenc, and James Schoonmaker.

Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, a cross-country skiing expert with Yle Urheilu, noted that the judges had tightened their regulations on traditional style events, especially regarding technique warnings. She suggested that this might be a precursor to even stricter rules at the upcoming World Championships.

According to Niskanen’s social media update, he received a warning, with FIS explaining that the disqualification was due to the use of skating technique in a race meant to be run in traditional style.

Who Surprised?

Despite a history of performing better using the classical technique, the Finnish men’s race in the 10-kilometer free interval start exceeded expectations. Iivo Niskanen finished sixth, his best performance ever on a free technique 10k race, missing the podium by less than seven seconds. Notably, his only better finishes in his career with the free technique had been second at Nove Mesto in 2020 and fourth in Davos in 2019 over 15 kilometers.

In the women’s race, Kerttu Niskanen not only won the Friday’s sprint (alongside Jasmi Joensuu in a team effort) but also claimed third place in the free technique race on Sunday – marking her third international podium finish in free technique competition. In the same race, Krista Pärmäkoski surged with a strong finish to secure fifth place.

Aino-Kaisa Saarinen commented, “We are in excellent shape heading towards Trondheim, and we can already consider adding a combined event to our program, which might be a very good opportunity for us.” However, the women’s race was missing prominent free technique specialists such as Frida Karlsson, Therese Johaug, Heidi Weng, and Teresa Stadlober.

Who Underperformed?

Saarinen expressed disappointment in Arsi Ruuska, who finished 37th in the 10-kilometer free race on Sunday. “He has been such a consistent performer, and this result is a complete mystery. The course should have suited him well. I thought he would be in the top ten,” Saarinen remarked.

Ilkka Herola, who had several opportunities for his career-opening win in the combined World Cup, eventually settled for two fourth places and one fifth place after getting caught in the final sprint. In the men’s race on Sunday, strong competitors Vinzenz Geiger, Jarl Magnus Riiber, and Jens Lurås Oftebro broke away from the Finns in the final meters. "We had hoped for a miracle, but it just wasn’t in the cards; my legs just didn’t hold up again," Herola added.

What’s the Big Decision?

After the race, Krista Pärmäkoski astounded many by announcing she would begin a four‐day drive home by car. She plans to cover 1,300 kilometers from Italy to northern Germany, continuing by ferry from there to Finland.

Pärmäkoski, who had departed for Central Europe with her dog Edvin after the Christmas celebrations at the Presidential Castle, has spent nearly two months in the alpine region preparing for the World Championships. Her decision, which has sparked discussion among commentators such as Sami Jauhojärvi and expert Harri Kirvesniemi, also baffled Yle’s Aino-Kaisa Saarinen.

Saarinen commented, “I don’t know anyone else who has done this. It’s an incredibly long journey, even flying is tiring. It’s far from the optimal solution.”

Despite not being a dog owner herself, Saarinen speculated that Pärmäkoski prioritized being with her dog – a source of balance and support during challenging times, as Edvin has faithfully accompanied her to races.

What’s Next?

The next weekend’s races in Vantaa include the traditional style Finnish Championship sprints on Saturday and relay events on Sunday as part of the Finnish Cup. In the World Championships, the sprint will be run in free technique, so the national races serve mostly as a tune-up.

The final World Championship spots will be decided at the Falun World Cup in Sweden in a couple of weeks, featuring a traditional sprint, a 10-kilometer traditional interval start, and a 20-kilometer free mass start. Saarinen believes that athletes who have shown consistent performances throughout the season already know they are heading to the Worlds, and they will be able to communicate their travel wishes with their coaches, which will likely work out.

According to Saarinen, in addition to stars like Niskanen and Pärmäkoski, athletes such as Vilma Ryytty – who has been in impressive form recently – can be expected to secure their places in the World Championships.