In a long time, Niko Anttola became the first junior-age SM medalist in the men’s normal distances
Tampere
A few turning 20 in a week Niko Anttola has acquired a situation that has not been seen in Finnish skiing for a long time.
When talking about men’s normal trips, Anttola is reportedly the first skier under 20 years old in decades to have achieved an individual SC medal in the general category and is involved in the speculations about the prestigious race team.
“Niko is certainly already partly involved in the World Cup speculation, but we probably have to talk to him and think about that plan”, the head coach Teemu Pasanen said on Saturday at the Tampere Ski Championships.
Anttola had a little earlier achieved bronze at the 15 kilometer (v) championship. Say goodbye to the one who won the first championship of his career To Remi Lindholm accumulated 33 seconds and silver on the Olympic medalist of the previous two winter sprint relays Joni Mäkeen 13 seconds.
A little later, Pasanen specified to HS that Anttola did not rise to the WC selection speculation because of the WC medal.
“He has been involved since the beginning of the season and already skied well in the Ruka World Cup,” said Pasanen.
Anttola was chosen to ski for the first time in a foreign World Cup competition in Davos, Switzerland, but missed that trip because of the flu.
Pasanen presented a harsh assessment of Anttola’s possibilities.
“If Niko had been able to ski in Davos, I bet he would have been in the same mood Arsi Ruuskanen (eighth) and with Remi Lindholm (11th). He is in really good shape,” Pasanen said.
The head coach signed the opinion that Anttola has already shown several times this season that he belongs to the top six Finns on normal trips, of which Saturday’s medal was one example.
Of course, achieving the medal was made easier by the fact that Iivo Niskanen and Perttu Hyvärinen were not involved.
On Monday Anttola is traveling to Canada’s Whistler for the Junior World Championships, which will be contested on the 2010 Olympic tracks.
The Junior World Championships have been a clear main goal for Anttola this season.
In terms of schedule, it would be quite possible that he would also be selected for Planica’s World Cup team. There are more than two weeks between the World Championships in the youth and general series.
“Hard to say. Now I’m going there for the youth games, and yes, it would scream international screens if Planica wanted too. I don’t think that would be realistic”, said Anttola as a recent SM medalist.
According to Pasanen, Planica’s World Cup team will be built so that each selected athlete will have at least one competition.
For Anttola, the most realistic distances would be 15 kilometers (v) with an intermediate start and a 30 kilometer combined race. These trips are crowded, and there are only four spots available.
Krista Pärmäkoski was selected at the age of 18 in 2009 for his first World Championships in a very similar situation to Anttola’s now.
Pärmäkoski was a junior World Cup medalist and still lacks even more success in the World Cup. At the World Championships in Liberec, Pärmäkoski (then Lähteenmäki) was able to ski one competition. He placed Aino-Kaisa Saarinen winning by ten (p) to 37th.
Last in the winter, Anttola won silver in the 10 km (p) intermediate start at the Junior World Championships in Norway.
This time, the ten kilometers will be skied in free and the 20 kilometer joint start in traditional.
“There will definitely be tough competitions. Hopefully I’ll stay healthy for the next week, and the stuff will arrive. There, the body and maintenance have to be in tune to go,” said Anttola.
In Pasanen’s opinion, Anttola will “definitely” make a strong result on the junior WC track if he continues in the same way.
Anttola knew how to expect a top SC ranking from himself.
“I wasn’t really thinking about a medal, but there were pretty high expectations. Now I felt that the condition is on the rise. There has been a bit of a fluctuating mood in training.”
Tampere:
Championship competitions:
Men, 15 km (y): 1) Remi Lindholm Imatra Urheilijat 33.09.7, 2) Joni Mäki Pohti SkiTeam 20.8 seconds behind, 3) Niko Anttola Visa Ski Team Kemi –33.3, 4) Juuso Haarala Pohti SkiTeam – 38.0, 5) Joel Ikonen Pohti SkiTeam –45.7, 6) Markus Vuorela Jämin Jänne –59.2, 7) Arsi Ruuskanen Kuusamo Batch-Veikot –1.05,4, 8) Juuso Tossavainen Kuusamo Batch-Veikot –1.05, 5, 9) Johannes Vuorela IF Minken –1.25,0, 10) Emil Liekari Vuokatti Ski Team Kainuu –1.26,4.
Women, 10 km (v): 1) Krista Pärmäkoski Ikaalisten Urheilijat 24.20.5, 2) Jasmi Joensuu Vantaa Ski Club 36.4 seconds behind, 3) Eveliina Piippo Vuokatti Ski Team Kainuu –39.4, 4) Riitta-Liisa Roponen Visa Ski Team Kemi –1.01,5, 5) Emmi Lämsä Visa Ski Team Kemi –1.01,7, 6) Vilma Ryytty Iisalmen Visa –1.11,1, 7) Johanna Matintalo Pöytän Athletes –1.12,2, 8) Vilma Nissinen Vuokatti Ski Team Kainuu –1.45,3, 9) Elsa Torvinen Ylöjärven Ryhti –1.47,6, 10) Johanna Ukkola Kainuu Ski Club –1.49,2.
#Skiing #coach #admitted #19yearold #Niko #Anttola #involved #World #Cup #speculation
