Suvi Minkkinen and Tero Seppälä celebrate the victory of the mixed doubles relay on Sunday in Oberhof.
Experienced biathlon skiers Suvi Minkkinen and Tero Seppälä got to celebrate first place for the first time at World Cup level. ZumaWire / MVPHOTOS
– I had an incredible message partner.
Thus Tero Seppälä set the mood for Iltalehte on Sunday evening.
He says that he followed with “really confidence” when Suvi Minkkinen started the anchor leg of the mixed doubles relay 13 seconds behind the leader.
– Suvi led the shooting with a really good rhythm, dug [hiihtoon] one more gear and the job was done, Seppälä sums up.
– Of course, winning is an incredible achievement.
Minkkinen didn’t need any spare cartridges at either shooting location of the anchor section. In the end, France was six seconds behind the Finnish pair, and Germany was 25 seconds behind.
“It was so cool”
When Minkkinen rushed from the last shooting position to the track, he was not aware of how close the French anchor Paula Botet there is.
– In that noise, I couldn’t hear very clearly what was happening behind. I didn’t know if the difference was five or ten seconds, Minkkinen times.
– I thought that I would push the climb as hard as I could. I knew that if I could make it to the top of the hill, then we would be in our comfort zone.
Botet, the number one in Thursday’s sprint race, ended up being six seconds behind, so Minkkinen was able to enjoy his first mc victory in peace.
– It was so cool, he describes.
– Quite a lot of emotions came out when I got to vent about the victory. A lot of work has been done.
Brilliant streak
Suvi Minkkinen cheered the victory of the mixed doubles relay at the finish line. EPA / AOP
Minkkinen, 30, has been in a great mood throughout the season. There are seven rankings in the mc top ten.
In the summer, Minkkinen trained for no less than a three-month period at high altitude, at around 1,800 meters.
– A successful training season is behind us, to which the body has reacted well. It’s a really nice feeling to race with a body that works.
Minkkinen is fifth in the overall World Cup race and third in the sprint.
Have you found the much talked about flow mode?
– It feels a bit like that. At times I have had the feeling that this is true.
When will the first personal first place click?
– That remains to be seen, but hopefully as soon as possible. The best timing would be there five weeks away.
Five weeks away, the World Cup biathlon in Lenzerheide awaits.
The long wait is over
Seppälä, 28, got to taste the podium at MC level for the first time. He already has more than 200 IBU-level starts behind him.
– I have been among the six and I have dreamed of the podium, he says.
– Now there is something to watch. I have worked for this. It was great to get on the podium.
Is the momentum such that there is also a personal podium place coming?
– We’ll see. Let’s go one step at a time. With personal trips, you have to improve on the previous ones. The shooting has gotten better, and the skiing was also very good yesterday.
How to celebrate?
Sunday was not a party night, but a travel night.
– Next on the program is a five-hour car trip, Seppälä announces.
– We have a normal distance race already on Wednesday in Ruhpolding. It’s a pretty tight pace here, but maybe we’ll celebrate with the support team when we get back home.
The women will compete next time only on Thursday.
– The coaching team’s responsibility is to organize small parties, Minkkinen says.
– Maybe it will be tomorrow [maanantain] things.
Suvi Minkkinen and Tero Seppälä took the highest podium on Sunday in Oberhof. EPA / AOP