Juha Mieto Welcomes Ilkka Herola to Legendary Finnish Team and Remembers Norwegian Sausage Incident – "Thank Goodness It Wasn't Ilkka"

Holmenkollen's most successful Finnish athlete foresees a bright future for Ilkka Herola in the upcoming Olympic season.

Ilkka Herola achieved his first personal race win in the World Cup in his 251st competition. Photo: EPA-EFE/Amanda Pedersen

Juha Mieto was a satisfied man on Sunday. The legend of Kurikka had set out for a two-hour bike ride before 8 a.m. to prepare for a long day of sports. By noon, it was clear that the day would be anything but dull.

Ilkka Herola broke the hill record at Holmenkollen and was the first on the ski track.

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Herola's hill record.

On the track, Herola escaped from his pursuers and clinched his first individual race victory in the World Cup during his 251st race.

– I knew after the hill record that the game was clear. With only 7.5 kilometers in the ski race, I just had to floor it right from the start. Ilkka handled the task fantastically – and on Ilkka's day, Mieto reflected on Sunday evening.

Juha Mieto photographed in 2019. Photo: Tarmo Niemi / Yle.

Herola joined the illustrious Finnish team that has won in Oslo's legendary skiing venues. When Nordic skiing and biathlon are combined, a Finnish athlete has won a trophy at Kollen a total of 80 times.

The most successful Finn at Kollen is Marjatta Kajosmaa, who celebrated six victories from 1969 to 1973. Mieto is the most successful Finnish male athlete with six victories, which came from 1973 to 1978.

Mieto warmly welcomed Herola to the winners' club at Kollen and praised the younger member's sense of humor.
– Ilkka is very considerate. He doesn’t just let anything out. I thought it was fantastic and refreshing humor when Ilkka welcomed his competitors to Salpausselkä and stated that the hill record is also a goal there.

– Salpausselkä is always home for us Finns, but in my time, the top spot was Kollen, then Salpausselkä, and then came Falun.

Juha Mieto won silver in the 30 km race at the 1974 Falun World Championships. He celebrated a relay Olympic victory in Innsbruck in 1976 and won a total of nine championship medals throughout his career. Photo: ullstein bild/ All Over Press

Sausage Package Story

Mieto enjoyed his first victories at Holmenkollen in 1973. At that time, he was the best in the 15 and 50 kilometers.

In the latter race, the Norwegian audience did not withhold any means to support their favorites Oddvar Brå and Pål Tyldum in their quest for success.

– I wasn't that familiar to the Norwegians since I was still a young man. We skied 25 km laps, and a kilometer before the finish, some Norwegian threw a sausage package onto the track. It was terrible wet weather, and the package got stuck in the glop. Luckily, it was that kind of greaseproof paper that came off. Otherwise, my race would have ended there, Mieto recalled, adding:

– Luckily, it didn’t happen to Ilkka.

Since 1973, there had been no sign of such episodes.

– After that, there was only love.

Filling a Power Void?

Sunday also marked the end of an unparalleled era, as Norwegian star Jarl Magnus Riiber bid farewell to the competition as the most successful athlete in the history of his discipline.

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Riiber and Herola in an interview after Sunday's race.

Mieto predicts success for Herola, not only for the end of spring but also for the Olympic winter of 2026.

– Others will start to look at the performance with different eyes. Now that the winning head is open, I doubt this will stop here.