Heta Hirvonen Dazzles with Career-Best in Combined – Yle Covers Winter Sports Weekend

The article reports on the winter sports weekend (January 31 – February 2) as followed by Yle, with updates on several disciplines – cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined and even alpine skiing.

Over the weekend, several events were highlighted:

• In the Nordic combined (the combined event), Finland’s Heta Hirvonen achieved a career-best finish by placing 12th in the women’s combined event in Seefeld. Her personal best improved by four points compared to her previous result. She commented that her jumping was slightly improved compared to the previous day and that her skiing, which allowed her to challenge others, left her with a very positive feeling about the day.

• In the men’s combined, Ilkka Herola finished fifth despite a fast start; he admitted that he launched too quickly at the beginning and was left with tired legs after the first round. Norway’s Jens Lurås Oftebro ultimately sped away in the final moments to claim the victory, ahead of his countryman Jarl Magnus Riiber and Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger.

• Other highlights include cross-country skiing updates where Olli Penttala achieved his first World Cup podium by finishing third in Canada, and sprint results where Finnish Jasmi Joensuu reached the top of the sprint standings despite a setback in his semifinal run. Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist and Norway’s Erik Valnes were also noted for their performances in competitive sprint events.

• In ski jumping, the women’s large hill competition in Willingen saw Norway’s Eirin Maria Kvandal take the win, with Jenny Rautionaho and Julia Kykkänen also among the top finishers.

Additional details cover the broadcast schedules on TV2 and Areena, and mention that while Yle does not hold the rights to live broadcast the Nordic skiing and combined events, viewers can still follow the action via the Yle app and partner channels.

In a separate World Cup update from Willingen, Daniel Tschonefig, wearing the yellow overall leader’s jersey, won the event after an impressive second-round performance. Slovenia’s Anze Lanisek and Austria’s Maximilian Ortner also featured prominently, while Finland’s Niko Kytösaho did not advance past the first round.

Throughout the article, several athletes shared their thoughts on their performances, and the piece offers a comprehensive look at an exciting weekend for Nordic skiing.