Eero Hirvonen, who burst into the United front row in the 2017–18 season, was in trouble for four years. The best summer competition season of his career is now behind him.
– Sometimes you take more on your head and sometimes less. If after every race you have the feeling that why are you doing this, take it into your head.
This is how the combined athlete suffered Eero Hirvonen At the Zhangjiakou Olympic Ski Stadium last February, when the gig had produced a stomach-churning sensation.
Disappointment in China was the tip of the iceberg to a four-season slump. From Hirvinen’s nature and speech, I got the impression that he might be able to put his whistle in the bag at only 26 years old. We talked about yet another lost top Finnish promise.
– During the last couple of years, I’ve been thinking about whether I should do something else, when there is so much resistance and trouble. Tries to do everything, but always gets kicked in the head and always has a tight ribbon after races. How seriously I thought about quitting – I can’t really say, Hirvonen comments now.
Worked as national team coach and personal coach of a Jyväskylä resident Petter Kukkonen declared in an emotional fit in China that he would never coach again, and “at least Eero has nothing to give”.
The best ever
Eero Hirvonen is making a return to the top of the combined. The man, who is studying in his second year at the Jyväskylä University of Economics, has the best summer competition season of his career behind him. PASI LEISMA
In the 2017–18 season, Hirvonen rose to the top of the nation’s closet for skiing. He took six podium places in the World Cup and was sixth twice in the South Korean Winter Olympics.
– The starting point is that in the 2022–23 season I will return to the same level as in 2017–18.
In October 2022, Hirvosen will have the best summer competition season of his career behind him. He took the 6th, 3rd and 1st places in the three GP races. Petter Kukkonen is still working as a personal coach.
– I really thought that Petter had no interest in continuing as a coach. I was wrong and he was wrong when he said he couldn’t help me anymore.
What happened?
Hirvonen says that the long development discussions with Kukkonen and modifying the skiing training to be similar to 2017–18 are key.
He was the third best skier and the eighth best jumper in the GP season. Among other things, in the competition he won in Austria, the Finn was third after the hill section.
– Jumping was not particularly prepared. I’ve had better jumps in my career. It’s good to see that such a performance was enough for such a high level.
Capable of oxygen uptake
Petter Kukkonen continues as Eero Hirvonen’s personal coach. PASI LEISMA
A jumper’s knee, a broken long extensor tendon of the right thumb and a torn thigh.
Hirvonen has been struggling with various injuries in recent years.
– For the last six months, my health has been at an all-time low. I haven’t had such an intact training season since 2017. That summer, I was in India, says the athlete.
– It is of considerable importance when you don’t have to make compromises because of ailments. In terms of physical condition and peace of mind, it’s important when you don’t have to apply training all the time, he continues.
The strong physical condition was visible in the test measuring maximal oxygen uptake capacity at the Institute of Top Sports in Jyväskylä, Kihu, when Hirvonen set his record at around 80 milliliters.
The reading is exceptionally high for a combined athlete.
The maximum oxygen uptake capacity indicates the ability of the respiratory and circulatory system to transport oxygen during maximum physical exertion. It is perhaps the single most important characteristic for an endurance athlete.
The most common way to measure is the relative value of oxygen uptake capacity, in which case it is reported per kilogram of body weight. In this case, the unit is milliliters per kilogram per minute (ml/kg/min).
One month to start
At the Chinese Olympic Games last winter, Eero Hirvonen was very disappointed. The result was 17th and 20th places in the individual competitions. PASI LEISMA
The combined World Cup season starts in a month in Ruka.
– For me, the most important thing is that I stay intact. For example, I don’t go to play badminton without warming up, Hirvonen states and refers to a thigh injury that occurred a year ago.
– I don’t assume that everything will be perfect with Ruka right away. Step by step better results, especially on the hill, he continues.
Five years ago, at the opening of the Ruka cup, Hirvonen took 2nd and 3rd place.