Biathlon: Finland at their best since 1999
The last time the Finnish women’s national team finished a biathlon World Cup relay in such a high position was … in the last century and millennium. So the fourth place achieved this Saturday in Hochfilzen (Austria) by Inka Hämäläinen, Sonja Leinamo, Venla Lehtonen and Suvi Minkkinen is historic.
To find such a good result, you have to go back to 28 February 1999 , when Katja Holanti, Outi Kettunen, Annukka Mallat and Eija Salonen finished the Lake Placid relay (USA) in third place.
Naturally, this historic performance delighted the Finnish team. “I’m really proud of the whole team. We had a great race, and fourth place gives us just enough motivation for the future,” said Sonja Leinamo in a press release from theFinnish Biathlon Association.
Suvi Minkkinen made an unsuccessful bid for the podium
It was an incredible performance from the whole team,” added Venla Lehtonen. There’s still a little taste of unfinished business, but fortunately, there are still more relays to come.”
Suvi Minkkinen, after a difficult sprint in which she lost her yellow bib, gave her all to give her compatriots the podium, but failed by around ten seconds.
“It’s frustrating to see the third-placed driver cross the line just in front of you, but I’m satisfied with my performance. It was also a very good stint by the whole team”, she sums up.
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