Therese Johaug Has a Huge Lead Over Krista Pärmäkoski and Kerttu Niskanen

Therese Johaug Has a Huge Lead Over Krista Pärmäkoski and Kerttu Niskanen

Krista Pärmäkoski and Kerttu Niskanen achieved the best performances of the season at the recent World Cup in Lillehammer.

Johaug returned to the top, finishing in a time markedly faster than her Finnish competitors.

In the 20 km combined race, Pärmäkoski placed eighth while Niskanen finished tenth. Despite their strong results, both were left with a significant deficit to Johaug, with Pärmäkoski behind by 1:40 and Niskanen a full two minutes.

Yle Sports expert Kalle Lassila commended both Finnish skiers, stating, "Their form has improved once again. Neither was under pressure. They both have long successful careers, and it has been seen before that form develops with competition over time."

Johaug's victory was assured from the start, as she broke away from the leading pack shortly after the ski exchanges. Her time was 42 seconds ahead of second-placed Heidi Weng, while Jessie Diggins came in third.

Analyzing the race, Lassila highlighted the differing competition formats and terrains, suggesting that future races may not be under Johaug's favor as they were this time.

Pärmäkoski, in her post-race interview, expressed no alarm over the time difference, explaining that they had maintained a steady pace during their final stages together. She mentioned a brief time of catching up but acknowledged that maintaining high speed was difficult as they approached the final hill.

Christa Pärmäkoski reflected on her performance humorously, stating, "We agreed to work together and when we reached the last round, we tried to push forward, but the legs were too tired for the final uphill."

Pärmäkoski also noted that her freestyle technique was improving, insisting that they were capable of better times despite the challenges.