Cross-country skiing: a scare for Jasmi Joensuu
The Finnish teams had very different fortunes in the classic sprint team at the Trondheim Worlds (Norway) on Wednesday. Serious medal contenders, the Finnish team of Kerttu Niskanen andJasmi Joensuu took fourth place. Long in third place, Jasmi Jo ensuu saw her team-mate Nadine Faehndrich drop her in the final straight. At the end of her tether, the Finn collapsed just after the finish line.
According to Finnish coach Ville Maunuksela, the cross-country skier briefly lost consciousness after the finish. Her partner, Kerttu Niskanen, was the first to rush to her and immediately called the medical staff for help.
“After Jasmi had finished, her vision went black and for a moment she was unable to communicate or react. The doctor was there. She was taken to the infirmary and tests were carried out. According to this information, there’s nothing to worry about. Of course, it’s always frightening when an athlete is unable to communicate and react normally. For the time being, the prognosis is pretty good for his continued racing,” commented coach Ville Maunuksela for Iltat-Sanomat.
A podium that comforts Finland
A few minutes after the scare involving Jasmi Joensuu, the men’s race got underway. In this event, where Norway went it alone, there was a great battle for second place. It was Ristomatti Hakola and Lauri Vuorinen who managed to take silver. After a crazy final relay, Ristomatti Hakola handed over to her compatriot in second place.
Lauri Vuorinen – the recent silver medallist in the sprint skate – then set off on a race for second place. Resisting the comeback of Sweden’s Edvin Anger and Italy’s Federico Pellegrino, he gave Finland its second medal of these world cross-country skiing championships.
“It was important to maintain speed, but at the same time make sure you had the strength you needed for the sprint. It was just a question of trusting the skis and trying to be the first in the last curve ,” Vuorinen told Yle.
It was a perfectly negotiated end to the tournament, and Finland can take some consolation from the fears surrounding Jasmi Joensuu‘s state of health.
Read also
- Trondheim: Erik Valnes and Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo win the classic World Championship team sprint, Jules Chappaz and Richard Jouve fifth
- Trondheim: Edvin Anger, teamed with Oskar Svensson in the sprint team, finally wins a world medal
- Cross-country skiing | Trondheim: Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist win the classic sprint team at the Worlds, Mélissa Gal and Léna Quintin come ninth
