Cross-country skiing : Iivo Niskanen likes to win in Finland
Last year, we left Iivo Niskanen frustrated in Ruka (Finland) where he was beaten on penalties by an impressive Martin Loewstroem Nyenget. The Finn caused quite a stir by violently throwing his poles to the ground in front of the international cameras.
On Friday, for the resumption of the cross-country skiing World Cup, the 32-year-old cross-country skier was all smiles again. A solid winner of the individual classic that opened the circuit, the 2018 Olympic 50km champion had the luxury of putting five Norwegians to shame on the finish line.
It was a performance that the darling of the local crowd celebrated for a long time in the finish area to rapturous applause. Quickly into his stride on the track, the native ofOulu (Finland) offered a true recital full of class in a style that has worked for him since his debut.
Victorious for the fifth time in his career on the Kuusamo hill, Iivo Niskanen proved that he can still compete with the best in the world despite more than a year and a half without a victory in the elite: “This race was a real challenge. But I knew I’d prepared well over the summer”, he explained a few minutes after his arrival to theYle microphone.
“I’ll have you know that I’m unbeatable if I stay healthy”, he announced with a smile in front of the NRK cameras. This success seems to have reinvigorated the Finn, who hasn’t won since 27 February 2022 in Lahti (Finland).
It would appear that he enjoys racing at home. Since his debut, he has won seven of his nine World Cup victories on home soil. His ability to shine at home continues to impress, but doesn’t really surprise his coach Olli Ohtonen. I knew that Iivo was in a position to make it onto the podium,” he admitted. The start of the season has been very good from a physical point of view and the tests showed that there were opportunities to be had.”
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