Was that it, Iivo Niskanen?

Iivo Niskanen32, the dream of winning the Holmenkollen 50 kilometers will not come true.

– Because of the age, the goal is not buried, but when the goals are so tough and only winning matters, how long can you last mentally, says Iltalehti’s skiing expert Reijo Jylhä.

In 2025, Oslo will not host the World Cup crown, and in 2026, according to current information given by the race organizers to Iltalehti, the way forward is free. The next traditional fiftieth race will not be scheduled in Oslo until 2027.

– Physically it would be quite possible at the age of 35, but is it mentally, Jylhä ponders.

The skier from Kuopio’s previous victory in the World Cup was more than two years ago: on February 27, 2022, he was first at the start of the 15-kilometer traditional intermediate race in Lahti.

– It certainly worries him.

Same error again

Before Sunday’s competition, Jylhä told how, on a few previous occasions at Holmenkollen, Niskanen has fallen into a kind of over-analysing when it comes to equipment.

– It was possible to find a ski as good as the one with which the competition was started, but a slightly different one was sought. In the end, it has been noticed that there was no need for the change, the expert estimates.

On Sunday, Niskanen’s first pair of skis was excellent. He decided to come to change equipment from the round before he had planned, i.e. in the middle of the trip.

– History repeated itself, although certainly for a different reason. Again, that second shoe was a challenge. On Sunday, we were looking for a skid plate and more grip, but the rain continued. It was probably a ski profile issue, I don’t think the custodians lubricated different skis so differently. For example Lauri Lepistö and Ville Ahosella the second pair of skis was excellent.

What is Kuopio’s skiing income all about?

– We are only looking for profit. That doesn’t come without looking for a winning ski. We anticipate and seek superiority for those solutions that could not be implemented, Jylhä answers.

Difficult at the end

Niskanen, who finished in ninth place on Sunday, fell from the top ropes about three kilometers before the finish line.

Would the final result have been different if the Finn had skied with the same pair of skis to the finish line?

– I do not believe. The grip decreased, but the slip didn’t decrease. The competition was decided by running uphill. Niskanen couldn’t make it to the last point, which he should have. No more running bats were found, Jylhä answers.

How do you analyze Niskanen’s skiing?

– Not counting the end of the big climb of the last run and the stretch that led to the finish line, the performance looked easy. The end didn’t look easy anymore – it was either due to a crash or a clot.

King Kläbo

As Iltalehti predicted Johannes from Kläbo comes Kollen’s cock. The travel pace remained moderate and at the end Kläbo ran away from the others.

– I expected that the skiing would have been harder. It was a good pace for Kläbo. The rainy conditions were such that it was not very easy to keep up the pace when there were no men willing to race, Jylhä states.

Swedish Jens Burman in the last two 8.3 kilometer laps of the race, besides Niskanen, was the only one who tried to increase the speed.

– In Norway, it is difficult to do well against the Norwegians.

Lepistö’s bang

Lauri Lepistö had the performance of his life when he crossed the finish line in twelfth.

– The man is with his life, even though the previous weekend in Lahti was a big disappointment. The ski worked well, but so did the head. He wouldn’t have been able to catch the top again if he had gone to change skis with the others after three laps.

Lepistö was replaced only after round 4/6.

– The challenge for Lauri is that he bends his hips forward an extraordinary amount. Now the movement position of the hips is high-quality both in straight thrust and in shift skiing.

Deviating curve

Ville Ahonen an interesting athlete, because throughout his career he has achieved the best results in spring-winter competitions. On Sunday at Kollen, he was in 17th place.

– Training affects it the most. It is likely that the brothers Ville and Olli Ahonen have practiced quite well. With that, the sensitivity is gone and a little overload is a problem at the beginning of the season. It’s hard to get rid of it, Jylhä says.

– As the winter wears off, the profit condition is found. When, on average, the profit situation of others no longer increases, but rather decreases a little, then the curves meet appropriately, the expert adds.

Youth champion Niko Anttola had a hard time at Kollen, when almost the whole body cramped after the race. In the media interview area, he was shaking.

– It tells about the fluctuation of the energy balance.

The skier from Tornio fell in the first round.

– Even though it didn’t solve the problem, catching up skied a bit of energy. And he doesn’t have that much experience skiing fifty.

Anttola finished 49/54 in his first mc-level 50 km race. The difference to the winner, Johannes Kläbo, was 9:37.8.