Ski-jumpers and Virpi Kuitunen win on eve of Olympics

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Finland's ski-jumpers took an important victory in a FIS World Cup team event in Willingen, Germany, on Sunday.
      Team Finland and their head coach Tommi Nikunen were understandably excited after the competition. This was the final World Cup event before the Torino Olympics.
      "The main thing was to win. This was our first team event gold in three years. The timing was perfect", Nikunen rejoiced.
      "Of course these points won't roll over to Torino, but this showed that we have the capacity to take the gold."
      The Finnish jumpers Tami Kiuru (129.5 and 128 metres), Janne Happonen (120.5 and 136), Matti Hautamäki (140.5 and 130.5), and Janne Ahonen (145.5 and 140) secured victory with 973.4 points, while the teams from Austria and Norway, who leaped into second and third positions, managed to gather up 953.3 and 950.5 points, respectively.
      Austria, in particular, has also shown signs of newly-found form just before the season's main event. Austrians Andreas Kofler and Thomas Morgenstern took a double victory in Saturday's individual event.
     
Virpi Kuitunen, in turn, was in top form in Davos, Switzerland, by taking a comfortable win in the women's 10-km traditional cross-country skiing event on Sunday.
      Kuitunen beat the runner-up, Canada's Sara Renner, by a comfortable 31.8 seconds, while thrid-placed Petra Majdic of Slovenia trailed 36.1 seconds behind the Finn.
      This was Kuitunen's first win of the season. Previously, she has secured three runner-up positions, the most recent one from Saturday's sprint race in Davos.
      "I was actually surprised by how far behind the others came. I tried to ski a balanced race, but I did not feel particularly strong at any stage of the competition", Kuitunen said in analysing her race.
      "Virpi was the only one who was able to maintain her speed throughout the event. All of her rivals had to slow down during the hard climbs on the second 5-kilometre lap", explained Reijo Jylhä, the head coach of the national ski team.
      In final standings, the other Finnish skiers, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Kati Venäläinen, Riitta-Liisa Lassila, and Kirsti Välimaa were found in positions 10, 19, 24, and 44, respectively. The men were also in action in Davos, but produced little to write home about. Olli Ohtonen was the best-placed Finn, and one had to go down to 40th place to find hins name. Ironically, Ohtonen is not even among the Finnish team going to the Olympics. Actual Torino-goers finished outside the top 50.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Winter Sports Round-up: Hautamäki and Manninen score double victories (30.1.2006)

Links:
  FIS

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