The skier opens from a very difficult and stressful season.
Cross-country skier Cross mat Hakolan34, the 2025–26 competition season has been overshadowed by a silent problem.
– The stress fracture was in the spinous bone of the leg until the beginning of January. Had to bite my teeth when skiing traditional, Hakola reveals.
After the fracture had been repaired, a bad cramp hit my back.
– I couldn’t hold my child in my arms so that my back wouldn’t get stuck. It’s a ridiculous thing.
Although the health situation was once again far from optimal, in January before the Olympics, Hakola achieved the best results of this Olympiad in the mat test on roller skis.
– In that test, I achieved the best results of my career before the 2022 Olympics in China. After a long time in January 2026, there was a good result again, says Hakola.
– But that hasn’t been seen in skiing. A special winter. I’ve been in shape, but it hasn’t carried over from start to finish. Now the worst three months of my career are at hand. It’s a shame when you invest 100% all year, and you get sick at the most important point of the season, he adds.
A virus crept into the body of the head tumor in Milan-Cortina. The skier was sidelined from the 50 km Olympic start, and has not been able to compete since the 10+10 km combined event that was the opening distance of the Olympics. The event in question was organized on February 8.
– Usually, such a viral disease lasts a week. Now it lasted more than three weeks, says the man who suffered from fever and copious mucus secretion.
Due to health concerns, Kauniainen mösijö has skied on this snow in only eight international competitions, i.e. seven World Cup starts and one Olympic qualification. The best results of the season came at Ruka at the beginning of the season, when the man was fourteenth in the traditional sprint and 22nd in the traditional sprint.
– From January, the season was a pancake. Has the load and new things been too much when there was a child and a house building project, the skier asked.
An emotional man says that he hasn’t had time to fall into a mental trap.
– There has been so much to do at home. By the way, I give all mothers ten points and a parrot badge – childcare is a lot of work.
Return
Ristomatti Hakola’s 2025–26 season has been a pancake. Pasi Liesimaa
On Friday, Hakola will return to competitions, when the double relay championship will be held in Rovaniemi.
– Let’s go to enjoy the late winter snow in Lapland, he states and refers to the Inari Skiing Championships organized in the weekend after Easter in addition to Rovaniemi.
The athlete from Jämin Jänte has still not decided whether his career will continue after this season.
– After the competition season ends, I go to the construction site of my detached house for a month. After that, I’ll see if skiing starts to taste good.
If the career continues, Teemu Pasanen continues as a personal trainer.
When it’s hard, it’s not easy, hockey personality Risto Dufva would say about Ristomatti Hakola’s (pictured) situation. Pasi Liesimaa
