Jasmin Kähärä suffers from lung problems.
Finnish national team skier Jasmin Kähärä says he suffers from a troublesome lung problem.
– The last few weekends in Central Europe in Davos and the Tour de Ski have caused challenges with breathing. When there is a hard pull, i.e. training or competition, the lungs take a hit. When there are a lot of them in the pipeline, they don’t have time to recover, Kähärä says.
– The Tour is fierce when the races come close, Mikkelin, who has competed five times in the last seven days, grew even more.
Kähärä says that there have been no problems at home.
– Here in Central Europe, there has been a similar challenge in previous years, but not always.
Before Christmas, Davos was contested at just under 1,600 meters above sea level, and in the Tour, stages 1–4 in Toblach at just over 1,200 meters.
The air in the Alps is drier than at sea level.
– On Saturday, in the sprint in Val di Fiemme, it didn’t feel like that in the lungs.
On Saturday, a traditional sprint was skied at Lago di Tesero, approximately 1,000 meters above sea level.
– The causes of the problem are being investigated. It’s not the first season when there are some of these.
“Asthma type”
Jasmin Kähärä suffers from lung problems. Jussi Saarinen
Iltalehti’s skiing expert Pirjo Muranen noted Kähärä’s problems during the Toblach competitions.
– An unfortunate problem. Asthma type symptoms suddenly thought. If there haven’t been any in the country, then the drier air in the mountains than in the country will have an effect. Of course, if you ski in really cold weather in your home country, the same effect might occur, Muranen commented on Saturday after stage 5/6 of the Tour.
Kähärä, who skied fourth in the traditional sprint of Val di Fiemme last season, was tenth on Saturday.
– The qualifier felt really bad, but the heat went as I planned. I’ll take the positives from that. Even in the semi-final, I think I skied tactically sensibly, but the last climb was too much. Just couldn’t find a foot, Kähärä estimates.
– It could have been a worse day, he added.
He announced that he will leave the Tour de Ski before Sunday’s final stage.
THE FACTS
Tour de Ski stage 5/6, women’s sprint (p)
1. Jasmi Joensuu, 3:45.75
2. Nadine Fähndrich (SUI), +0.44
3. Johanna Hagström (SWE), +1.94
4. Maja Dahlqvist (SWE), +5.03
5. Johanna Matintalo, +6.42
6. Anja Weber (SUI), +13.63
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10. Jasmin Kähärä
27. Vilma Nissinen
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40. Vilma Ryytty