Vilma Ryytty Amazed by Her Finnish Championship Title – Just Two Minutes Behind at Spa Skiing Last December

Vilma Ryytty crowned her weekend at the Finnish Championships in Imatra by winning the 20 kilometers combined race and also earned silver medals in the sprint and the 10-kilometer competition.

This championship title is the first for the 23-year-old Ryytty, and she described it as unbelievable upon reaching the finish line.

"I was 11th at the Spa Skiing event here in Imatra last month and probably lost about five minutes to the winner. It's been quite a month and an absolutely incredible weekend," Ryytty reflected.

According to the results, Ryytty lost 1:57 to the winner of the traditional 20 kilometers at Spa Skiing, Fanny Kukonlehto.

"I had a really good and solid training phase. I trained a bit differently than usual and managed some successful sessions. I also trained for the combined race," she noted.

On Sunday, Ryytty arrived at the ski exchange leading the group by five seconds, having competed in the 10 kilometers traditional event.

Despite competing in the combined race for the first time, she clearly excelled in the ski exchange and advanced with a five-second advantage into the freestyle segment.

"It went really well. I was a bit nervous since I had never switched equipment in a race like this before," she admitted.

During the freestyle segment, her lead over the second-placed Anne Kyllönen ultimately grew to 32.5 seconds.

"I was a bit surprised at first during the initial laps. I didn’t think I could break away so early. I needed to ask the support staff how much I was ahead of the others. By the last two laps, I felt really confident," Ryytty said.

The Imatra races served as a selection competition for the upcoming World Cup events.

This past weekend, Ryytty provided strong performances to reestablish herself on the international stage where her last finish was at the Lahti World Cup last March.

"This is the best possible way to continue this winter. My condition and performance feel great."