Petteri Koivisto takes Finnish championship gold and sets ambitious Olympic goals

Petteri Koivisto took the Finnish championship gold and announced his ambitious goals for the Olympics – expert Tero Seppälä offers a different perspective.

In the spring snow of Taivalkoski, there was fierce competition for the Finnish championship medals in the men’s 10 kilometers free-style race.

Petteri Koivisto of Puijon Hiihtoseura surprisingly achieved the championship title. In the thrilling finish, Koivisto overcame Miro Karppanen by just under ten seconds.

Biathlete Tero Seppälä finished third, 10.4 seconds behind Koivisto, while Joel Ikonen narrowly missed fourth place by 0.8 seconds.

Reflecting on his race, Koivisto shared that he didn’t feel tension approaching the finish; rather, he had been anxious all morning leading up to this pivotal competition.

He remarked, “I was really nervous this morning waiting for my 3:30 p.m. start. It made the early hours very difficult. But it felt good crossing the finish line.” He mentioned wanting to win because there is so much at stake, adding, “It feels great knowing that in just over 300 days, we will be competing again on the same course at the Olympics. I know I can do much better, so it feels good.”

After his unexpected success, Koivisto expressed his determination to focus on achieving a medal next year at the Val di Fiemme Olympics, stating, “A win is a win, but it’s uplifting that we will race the same distance in the Olympics next year.”

Expert Kalle Lassila was not surprised by Koivisto’s candid aspirations towards the Olympics but reminded that fewer places are available in the Olympic events, making competition fiercer.

Karppanen, who secured silver despite a challenging season, mentioned that the fatigue experienced by internationally competiting athletes opened up opportunities for others like himself.

“It’s a result I’m satisfied with. It’s been almost three months since my last free-style race, making it hard to know what to expect, but I’m definitely satisfied,” Karppanen shared.

Seppälä also noted his surprise at earning a medal. Having started on the trails after other competitors, he couldn’t gauge his performance against the top competitors until finishing.

He said, “I didn’t really lead during the race, but it surprised me that I ended up with a medal.”

Looking ahead, Seppälä intends to focus on the relay on Saturday, claiming he has not anticipated remarkable results despite his extensive experience in biathlon championships.