Ville Ahonen is the best amateur skier in the world

Ville Ahosta could be described as the best amateur skier in the world. He is not a member of any of the Ski Federation’s coaching teams, has only been part of a one-season challenger team in his career, but he bundles a significant portion of the pros.

On Sunday, in front of the Imatra Athlete, everyone else in the fifty Finnish Championships was humbled Iivo Niska and Ristomatti Hakola without counting.

– Years of work are starting to pay off. There have been difficulties, but it is good to have them, so you can learn from them. I was in the group of challengers for one year and I had to learn from there too, says Ahonen, 27, who lives in Espoo.

He is studying energy technology at Aalto University for the fourth year and is in the master’s degree.

– The study has been such that if the pace of skiing increases and when it has increased, we go on its terms.

Dad coaches

Ahonen was born in Imatra and ended up with a familiar formula for the sport: the parents took him to the slopes, the skiing was nice and in nature it felt comfortable to move.

– I’m a cross-country skier who plays through speed.

This season, Ahonen achieved the first World Cup points in his career – and did his trick handsomely: Tour de Skille in the 16th sprint in Oberstdorf, 22nd in the Lahti World Cup in 15th, 50th in Holmenkollen and 24th in the Falun Sprint. All points came in the traditional way.

– Traditional is better, but why not be able to make a profit even with free time.

His father Kari Ahosen an athlete of his age in coaching practiced “only” 750 hours this season.

– Of course you can increase the number. But it is certainly not suitable for me to train more than a thousand hours like Iivo Niskanen or To Remi Lindholm. The speed side above goes as it is in strength.

Ahonen, who has a three-jump and high-speed background, fights with Atomic skis, but is not a full-service stable skier.

– The situation will certainly improve in the future. Hopefully there will be more skis next season.

It is very likely that Ahonen will get an A national team place next season.

– I wouldn’t be disappointed if I had a place on the B national team. The screens are now given and they are pretty good. Decisions are made by decision makers.

Suffering brought an account

Joni Mäki raced to the finish of the 50-kilometer Finnish Championships in 16th place on Sunday. That was enough to win the Finnish Cup overall.

– There were old friends on the way, so I could throw a joke. Skied to the finish, Mäki, who lost to the winner Niskanen on 12.31.1, said.

Lauri Lepistö was fourth on Sunday and got 50 Cup points. Mäki gained points on Sunday 15. The duo’s difference before the final trip was 56 points in favor of Mäki, so the title came with a difference of 21 points.

Lepistö led the Cup by four points before Friday’s free ten, but he ruined his seam by clotting 13th in the race. Mäki was second in the race.

Mäki acknowledged 5,000 euros for the profit.

– It goes to savings because it is a considerable amount. But it wouldn’t hurt if the pot was bigger. That would encourage even the sharpest tip.