Mäkäräinen lick in Lapponia skiing 50 kilometers.
Kaisa Mäkäräinen opened her skiing season. Kimmo Brandt / EPA / AOP
Kaisa Mäkäräinen, 40, participated in her first ski competition of the season in Lapponia skiing in Olos.
Mäkäräinen was seen on the track during the second part of the three-day competition, the 50-kilometer Himmelriik cross-country skiing race.
The ex-biathlon skier finished third with a time of 2:12.04.3. He beat, among others, Krista Pärmäkoski, who skied fourth, by more than three minutes.
The race was won by Kerttu Niskanen with a difference of 6.9 seconds Eveliina Piippoo. Mäkäräinen’s gap to Niskasen was a good minute.
Niskanen, Piippo and Pärmäkoski already skied 60 kilometers on Tuesday on the opening day of the Lapponia race. The route known as Keimiö Kiekerö was won by Niskanen, Piippo was second and Pärmäkoski third. The order of the overall competition is also the same.
The overall men’s competition is led by Iivo Niskanen, who won both competitions. Remi Lindholm is second after bagging two silver places.
Lapponia skiing culminates on Friday in the 80-kilometer Karra Huikonen competition.