Harri Kirvesniemi didn't think Iivo Niskanen would get on the podium beforehand.
Lahti
Harri Kirvesniemi was very surprised, what kind of nanna Iivo Niskanen served the skiing crowd on Saturday in Salpauselä.
Niskanen, who was far from his best in the current season, finished second in the 20 kilometer (p) intermediate start race. Only Johannes Hösflot Kläbo was smarter. He beat the Finn by 24 seconds.
“I couldn't believe it, not even after yesterday. Last weekend in Puijo, the relay skiing wasn't terrible in terms of speed, but it was something that looked like it could be done. I thought that the top ten would be able to ski in Lahti, but the second place was a positive surprise. Yesterday's pair sprint didn't look that strong either,” Kirvesniemi commented on Niskanen's skiing.
Kirvesniemi is downright amazed at how Niskanen managed to excavate the familiar gallantry in his skiing, which is usually a guarantee of high speed. Even last weekend, Niskanen finished fourth in the free race of the Finnish Cup. A month ago, he finished eighth in the traditional 20-kilometer SC cross-country skiing.
“Iivo showed what he is to his men when he is in normal good shape. In traditional split starts, it is quite difficult to knock Iivo off the podium. Yes, there was a lot of familiar, tough Iivo going. Technically, it was the easiest to look at, and you didn't see the crowding like a little while ago.”
Neck himself estimates that he is in about 95 percent condition. Kirvesniemi agrees with the view.
“When Iivo is in a really good stroke, he is able to come up extremely well by sliding steep parts and he doesn't have to drop his hips and start running. There was no such thing yet, you noticed,” Kirvesniemi assessed.
However, the king of the day was Kläbo, who has often been considered a living cannon in sports circles mainly due to his speed characteristics.
“The fitness factors decided. He started a little slower than Iivo and made the difference with easy cuts. Still, he managed to ski the uphills hard enough. A hard performance from him, when you think about what kind of competitive spirit he has in the background”, Kirvesniemi reminds.
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