Niko Kytösaho wants a foreigner to be Finland’s head coach

Austrian Werner Schuster has been at the helm of Switzerland and Germany, among others. PDO

The best ski jumper in Finland Niko Kytösaho wants to lead the national team Janne Väätäinen succeeded by a foreigner.

– It would be best if an Austrian or a German came. Austria has been the best Mäkima country in the world, and having followed that activity for almost a year myself, I know that the coaches from there would have so much to give to Finland, commented Kytösaho, who lived in Salzburg last summer.

Head of ski jumping and combined sports of the Ski Association Mika Kojonkoski said in March that if the union had a big wallet, he would try to get an Austrian top performer to do the job by Werner Schuster.

However, Kojonkoski thought that the salary offer offered by Finland would not interest Schuster or the other golden finger of Alppimaa Alex Pointner.

– The wallet probably isn’t enough, and I don’t think Pointner will go to the World Cup any more. It’s such a heavy job and it would make it even harder for him when he should also be in Finland, Kytösaho estimates.

An old master Janne Ahonen says that taking into account Finland’s mountain traditions, it would seem like a shame if a competent leader for the national team could not be found in the home country.

– But is there the right type for that? I bet the next head coach will not be Finnish, Ahonen commented.

In the last seasons of his active career, 2016–18, an Austrian served as Finland’s pilot Andreas Mitter.

– He didn’t bring new things as such. The best thing was that when he brought things that are done in Europe, they were no more amazing than what we had done before, Ahonen recalls.

A superior champion

The 23-year-old Kytösaho competed on Friday in the normal mountain championships in Rovaniemi for the first time against the legend Aho, 45.

Last season, when Ahonen won Suurmäki SM bronze in Lahti, Kytösaho was not involved.

– It was cool to have Janne along. I didn’t think I would ever compete against him. Janne brought new flair to the race. I saw that Jannea was also a little nervous to jump after a year’s break. Everyone had a sense of humor, Kytösaho commented.

The winner was superior in Ounasvaara, as he defeated the youth world champion who had won silver Vilho Palosaren by nearly twenty points.

– Of course it warms you up. On average, winning is more comfortable than losing. There was exactly one goal on Friday and that was to win.

Kytösaho saw blades carried 95 and 99 meters.

– I am quite satisfied with how the day went. I haven’t jumped since Planica’s flying hill. The transition from the airport hill to the normal hill is not the easiest, but all the performances on Friday were good.

The helmet squeezes

Kytösaho can rightly be called Finland’s best mountain man, because he won the suurmäki SM gold in Kuopio in February and was the best blue and white in the world cup, 37th in total points.

Of course, there was a difference in Kuopio and the World Cup Antti Aalton just barely. Kiteeläinen was not in Lapland on Friday.

– The season was really fluctuating and difficult. The Norwegian tour went well, as all the performances were enough for the second round. When you get full races, it brings easier experiences, said the Finn, who reached the second round in seven consecutive Cup races.

– Mentally, it’s a completely different thing to jump two rounds than the situation where the race is limited to one jump and you leave disappointed, he continued.

Kytösaho is clearly the athlete with the greatest potential for success among the men who have been in the national team for the longest time. It has been estimated that the biggest obstacle to a real breakthrough is found inside the diving helmet.

– A lot of work has been done with it and must continue to be done.

Head coach Väätäinen scolded his protégé Planica for excessive self-criticism and slander at the World Championships.

– Yes, I will sign it. I am my own worst critic, even if there is always no reason. It is due to character and when you know your own potential, but you underperform badly. You’re not an athlete if you’re not disappointed.

The Finn lived in Austria last summer and trained with the world’s greatest mountain team. The coming Summer will largely go well in Kuopio.

– You can’t be in Kuopio all the time, because you don’t get to the top of the world from there. Autumn is mostly spent in Europe: you have to camp where the conditions are great, you can change hills and train with the best.