The Finn wanted to train with Erik Valnes in the fjords.
Norwegian cross-country Olympic champion and world champion Erik Valnes29, received a very surprising contact.
– Iivo Niskanen contacted me and told me that he wanted to train with me in Tromsø. It’s very surprising when a foreign skier comes to Tromsø – in fact, no skiers even come from other parts of Norway, Valnes says.
Tromso is the largest city in the Nordic countries located north of the Arctic Circle, on the edge of the Arctic Ocean.
– We have met a few times in Muonio and trained together there. Of course, we’ve been touring the World Cup at the same time for years, but otherwise we haven’t been in contact.
The native of Kuopio arrived in Northern Norway with his film crew during the basic training period 2025. The Finn trained and had dinner with Valnes for a week. The man from Vuonomaa describes the period as fun and exciting.
– It was a very windy week, so Niskanen must have felt the northern wind in his skin.
“Private Type”
Erik Valnes is an Olympic champion and world champion in cross-country skiing. Pasi Liesimaa
There are a lot of rumors in skiing circles about Niskanen’s, 33, training methods.
– He shared his training information with me. I don’t think there is anything special about his training. He is a special talent and he trains properly. Easy exercises are easy and hard exercises are hard.
Like a Finn, for a Norwegian, progressing along the slope is a better way to ski a race.
– Of course, the technique of Niskanen’s traditional way of advancing is super perfect. I’m trying to learn a bit from it.
Valnes says that Niskanen, at least in Tromsø, was a different person than the Finn’s public image would suggest.
– He is a very private person in Finland. He doesn’t go to bars in his home country because he’s so famous. Similarly, in the media, he seems to be very private, Valnes estimates.
– I think he is a funny guy with a good sense of humor. It was easy to get to know him, the 29-year-old Norwegian describes.
0.1 seconds
Iivo Niskanen was Fifth on Friday in the Ruka World Cup. Pasi Liesimaa
On Friday, in the traditional style 10 km time trial of the Ruka World Cup, Niskanen defeated Valnes by 0.1 seconds. He was Finnish By Martin Nyengeti Fifth in the winning heat and the Norwegian sixth.
– My performance was ok, but not the best possible, assessed Valnes, who beat his compatriot by 12.1 seconds.
Although the resume of the Tromsian is impressive, the man cannot yet be sure of his Olympic place at next February’s Italian Games.
– Really tight. You can fail once, but you can’t have two disaster weekends. All Norwegians know that you have to be strong on more than one trip. I’m trying to be strong in sprints and normal distances so that I can get an Olympic place.