Nordic Combined star Anssi Koivuranta not startled by return of Felix Gottwald and Hannu Manninen

“Tough geezers, both of them”

print this

Felix Gottwald of Austria and Hannu Manninen of Finland announced last summer their comeback to the Nordic Combined scene. Both former superstars spent a sabbatical year away from the sport, but succumbed to the siren call of the Vancouver Olympics.
     
“Tough geezers, both of them”, stated Finnish Anssi Koivuranta, the winner of last season’s Nordic Combined World Cup. “If the old hands beat me, then they beat me”, the 21-year-old Koivuranta said at the Finnish National Team’s press conference on the eve of the opening event of the FIS Nordic Combined season in Ruka, Finland.
      Making a return to the top is not impossible. Todd Lodwick proved that last winter. The 33-year-old American spent two years away from the sport but came back and seized the World Championship title in Liberec.
      A couple of weeks ago in Rovaniemi, Gottwald and Manninen both gave taste of what can be expected of them this season.
      In the international competition the Austrian proved strongest, followed home by Manninen. Koivuranta and the rest of the field had no choice but to settle for playing second fiddle.
     
An outsider cannot help but wonder if there is something wrong with a sport where pensioners can come in and collect the pot just like that.
      The argument gets the Finnish coaching directors, if not furious, at the very least on their toes.
      “Talent does not just disappear”, explained Reijo Jylhä, the head coach of the national ski team.
      “The comeback of the two is a good thing from the point of view of the discipline. With Nordic Combined one can easily get the false impression that the under twenties are able to dominate the sport. In an endurance discipline that also calls for skills, people should reach their peak closer to 30”, says Jylhä, in an oblique reference to the way in which youngsters have tended to dominate ski-jumping.
      Kimmo Savolainen points out that both Gottwald, 33, and Manninen have kept up their conditioning training even during the break. According to the head coach, neither one of the former champions has been exactly resting on his laurels.
     
Manninen’s comeback decision was made in the summer. The Sapporo (2007) World Champion is currently studying in Pori to become a commercial pilot.
      The 31-year-old trainee pilot trains and competes when his studies permit. On Thursday he did not make it to the Finnish team’s info meeting. Instead he practiced in Pori.
      Manninen has always been a tremendous skier. During the break he has lost some weight and his jumping has come off even rather unexpectedly well.
      In Manninen’s calendar there is room only for a few competitions before Vancouver. According to Jylhä, this is a solution dictated by necessity and experience.
      A full-on World Cup participation might be too much for the body. With the present rate of competing there is time for recuperation in between the meets.
     
Savolainen does not predict instant success for Manninen in the World Cup opening event in Ruka.
      “Manninen’s form should peak in February. That is my firm belief.”
      If that is the case, Manninen will continue the pursuit of his Holy Grail, a first personal Olympic medal, in Vancouver in February.
      Finland also aims for a team medal from Canada. Without the top form veteran this objective would be more or less theoretical.
     
The Ruka meet this weekend also includes ski-jumping competitions (in which another returning veteran, Janne Ahonen, should give an indication of his present form) and cross-country skiing races, and is the only meeting before Vancouver at which all three discipolines are on the programme.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Anssi Koivuranta over the moon at FIS Nordic Combined World Cup title (16.3.2009)
  Nordic Combined ace Hannu Manninen retires at age of 30 (30.5.2008)

See also:
  Rulebook interpretation speeds up Hannu Manninen´s comeback to Nordic Combined by three months (24.9.2009)

Links:
  Ruka Nordic Opening 2009
  FIS pages

Helsingin Sanomat