Cross-country skiing: Finland finished 10th in the men’s relay
During the men’s relay at the World Championships in Trondheim (Norway), Niko Anttola, who replaced Ville Ahonen at the last minute, fell after just three kilometres. The fall occurred in the worst possible place, i.e. on the fastest descent.
The skier from Tornio is no newcomer to the sport. In 2023, at the world junior championships in Whistler, he won gold in the 10-kilometre event and silver in the 20-kilometre event. At the 2023 world championships in Planica (Slovenia), he was part of the quartet that won a silver medal in the 4 x 10 kilometre relay.
Oi voi voi voi, Niko Anttola nurin avausosuudella ja onhan tämä iso isku mitalihaaveille. 😔#ViaplayTalvi #MMkisat #MMhiihto pic.twitter.com/vETvIheAQb– Viaplay Urheilu (@ViaplayUrheilu) March 6, 2025
This time, the cross-country skier found himself far behind the leading group. When he launched Ristomatti Hakola, the gap to Norway, who dominated from start to finish, was 48 seconds. Although he managed to overtake two nations, he was unable to bring Finland back into the race for the podium. ” It was difficult to ski alone against the wind,” he commented on Viaplay, as reported by lta-Sanomat. For him, only one man could have achieved the impossible, and “that person is currently at home” in Kuopio. He was referring to Iivo Niskanen, who is ill and not taking part in competitions.
The other two members of the team, Remi Lindholm and Lauri Vuorinen, also failed to join the group containing Switzerland, France and Sweden, or even Germany and the United States. As a result, Finland finished 10th.
When he appeared before the journalists, twenty-two-year-old Niko Anttola was feeling guilty. ” It was bad skiing,” he said. “ There‘ s nothing we can do about it. I’ve fallen before too, these things happen,” explained Ristomatti Hakola a little earlier. In response to his comrade’s grief, he said: “Let’s give each other a big hug and move on”. Remi Lindholm agreed. After all, he said, “it’s only skiing”.
