Perttu Hyvärinen will not ski in Lahti either – The humor of the Savonian has truly been put to the test

Perttu Hyvärinen will not participate in the Lahti World Cup either.

The 33-year-old cross-country skier confirmed to Yle Sports that he won't be in shape to ski at Lorandakan, as he is still recovering from illness.

"I can't ski the 50 km race in Lahti. There’s no chance I can ski well there either," Hyvärinen stated. This season has been particularly challenging for him, having sustained an ankle injury back in November when one ligament was torn and two ripped. He managed to compete in only four World Cup events before getting sick just before the World Championships.

"It hit really hard. There was nothing I could do, it really took a toll. There was a two-week period I couldn’t train at all. It's tough to recover and jump back to World Cup level so quickly," he explained.

Hyvärinen admitted that the season has been mentally heavy on him, affecting his usual sense of humor. "This has been a really tough season mentally. Everything has been at stake gearing up for the World Championships. It was a lot of pressure. I’m trying to get my situation under control and get my body back to condition so I can start the training season fully next winter.

After the Lahti World Cup, the only competitions left will be Finnish Cup events in Iisalmi at the end of March and the Finnish Championships in Taivalkoski the following week. Hyvärinen is considering participating in either of those competitions if he feels ready.

"Let’s see how it goes. I’d like to ski at least once this winter. Enough pressure has been placed on me already," he continued.

The humor of the Savonian has been put to the test this season, admitted Hyvärinen, who has taken it with some levity, despite the challenges. "This has been a very tough season mentally. All has been at stake, and there have been significant decisions made leading to the World Championships. The results haven't been good at all. My humor has certainly been under pressure this winter, but that’s just part of our profession."

Looking ahead to next winter, he aims to return strong, stating, "I’m aiming to fully recover and to be in shape to start a solid training season."