Unfortunate Observation on Finland's Women's Ski Team as Germany Issues a Storm Warning
Originally published in Yle on January 19, 2025
Finland's women's chances of winning a relay medal at the upcoming World Championships in Trondheim do not appear likely. The Finnish team will need to outperform Germany, which has been excelling on the course.
Germany's Victoria Carl secured a podium finish on Friday, and the nation is entering the competition with strong potential. In the recent 20-kilometer classic race in Les Rousses, Nousiainen noted the importance of Germany's depth in talent, with Katharina Hennig, Victoria Carl, and Pia Fink all finishing in the top eight.
Hennig, who left Kerttu Niskanen in sixth place, ranked fifth, with Carl in seventh and Fink in eighth. Another noteworthy performer was Katherine Sauerbrey, who was remembered from the silver medal relay team at the Beijing Olympics.
The vast breadth of talent within the German team is beginning to show once again, especially as they have claimed silver medals at the last two major championships in the women's relay.
"Germany is quietly developing a very competent relay team again. They have a lot of good, if not star-quality skiers for the normal distances. It's incredible!" Nousiainen remarked, acknowledging that although Germany lacks some star names, their consistency makes them a tough competitor in relays.
The main challenge for Finland will be the freestyle segments, something Germany does not face with the same concerns. Carl has shown strong performance in the freestyle, making her a valuable asset for the team.
Victoria Carl is among Germany's top skiers. Source: Getty Images
Pia Fink is another strong contributor to Germany's relay team. Source: Getty Images
"It’s not a good situation", Nousiainen said, adding that Finland has struggled recently, missing out on medals at the previous two championships.
While Finland has one of the best male teams overall, the women's team faces a challenge with limited backup for the longer distances. "We just don’t have enough athletes competing for places in the normal distances. That’s why Vilma Ryytty's performance in free technique was so important," he reminded.
Overall, while the Finnish men’s situation is overall better, the women’s team lacks significant depth, making it hard to see them achieving success soon.
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