In January, the Finnish skier who had influenza and the corona virus announced that he would not make it to the Olympics.
Kerttu Niskanen37, was lying in bed at home in Kainuu in January and threw in the towel.
– At that moment, I thought that there would be no Olympics, Niskanen describes.
He withdrew from the Tour de Ski at the turn of the year before the last previous stage in Val di Fiemme. The reason was said to be mild flu symptoms and a precaution.
– I was then training on the morning of the sprint race. If I had a severe illness, of course I wouldn’t have gone to the track.
The skier traveled home from Italy in the middle of the Tour.
– Then the disease really kicked in.
The skier was diagnosed with influenza and coronavirus infection. The corona infection was the first in his life for the athlete, who has used a mask very diligently in recent years.
– The disease was tough, Niskanen sighs on the eve of the Olympic Games in Val di Fiemme, i.e. the same place where he went on sick leave a month ago.
– We got through it and there was enough time for the Olympics, the four-time Olympic visitor sums up.
Tears
Kerttu Niskanen is skiing in Italy in the fourth five-ring race of her career. Pasi Liesimaa
Vieremän Koito’s woman returned to the race tracks the other weekend at the Goms World Cup. He was fourth in the 20 km traditional style joint start. Team-mate Johanna Matintalo won.
Niskanen cried in Viaplay’s TV interview after the competition.
– I was really satisfied with the fourth place. I’ve done everything I can for the awards.
Before getting sick, Niskanen had just reached a good profit condition. Not commendable yet, but such that he seemed to be at the top of the game.
– Early winter has never been my strength. When I started to catch up at the Tour, it was extremely bad luck that I got sick.
Medals in mind
Niskanen, who competes very actively, finds one silver lining in his illness.
– I haven’t been exhausted for the Games. A year ago, at the World Championships in Trondheim, I blew the model that the competition load was under me, says the Finn, who was left without a World Championship medal.
– Now the competitions are at least not bad, he adds.
Niskanen’s goal is to compete in Milano-Cortina as much as possible. Only the traditional sprint is not part of the program in any case.
The main distance is the traditional 50-kilometer joint start to be skied on the final weekend of the Games.
– Of course, I have not compromised on the goal I set before the start of the season. There have to be goals, hard goals, and they either come true or they don’t. When we went to the Chinese Olympic Games four years ago with medal goals, we will also go here.
From the slopes of Zhangjiakou, Niskanen returned to his home country with the silver medal of the traditional ten intermediate start race and the bronze medal of the free 30 km joint start.
Now even one medal would be quite an achievement.
