Biathlon : five years after Kaisa Mäkäräinen
On Friday night inÖstersund (Sweden), Suvi Minkkinen put in the finest performance of her career. The Finn, who turns 31 on Monday, claimed her first ever World Cup success in the sprint, taking over from Kaisa Mäkäräinen, the last Finn to win a World Cup in Oberhof (Germany) in January 2020. Leading from the first shot, she confirmed her domination in the standing event by clearing all her targets.
“I can’t believe it! I don’t know what to say, I’m so happy! The snow conditions weren’t the best for me, but we worked really well,” the skier who set the third fastest time toldEurosport.
However, after her first race of the winter – in the individual event where she finished fifteenth – Suvi Minkkinen wasn’t entirely satisfied. “When I crossed the finish line, I was so proud [in the sprint]. I found it hard to concentrate during the individual. I wasn’t disappointed with the result, but with my own performance”, she explained to Yle.
To achieve this result, the Finn approached the competition with a new mindset: “I learnt to concentrate on the competition, not on the result. I was surprised myself at how different the competition is when you have expectations,” she added.
Finland’s Norwegian coach Erik Torneus-Kulstad was delighted with his protégée’s performance, underlining her hard work: “It’s quite incredible. When you work like Suvi, you make progress in a year. If you carry on like this, you become stronger. I’m glad the rules apply. If you work hard, you get better.
Last season’s revelation thanks to her seventh place overall, Suvi Minkkinen has confirmed her progress and will even be wearing the yellow bib in the pursuit. ” It’s going to be fun,” she tells Eurosport with a smile.
Read also
- Biathlon | Östersund: Océane Michelon third in the sprint, victory for Finland’s Suvi Minkkinen ahead of Anna Magnusson
- Biathlon | Östersund: winner of the sprint, Suvi Minkkinen takes the yellow bib as World Cup leader
