Sport round-up: Virpi Kuitunen excels at Nordic Skiing World Cup
Virpi Kuitunen was the overwhelming winner in the women’s ten-kilometre traditional style cross-country skiing race in the World Cup competition at the Finnish winter resort of Ruka in Kuusamo on Sunday.
Kuitunen finished 44 seconds ahead of Norway’s Marit Björgen. According to Magnar Dalen, the Norwegian head coach of the Finnish team, Kuitunen’s performance was the "best traditional traditional style possible".
Kuitunen herself observed that she is in good condition now. She also praised her skis, and the "world class" service staff of the Finish team.
"For this weekend I found a pair of skis that I will probably lock in a safe", she said.
Kuitunen finished second in the sprint race also in the traditional style on Saturday. The winner was Petra Majdic of Slovenia.
On the men’s side, on Friday Arttu Lappi took his first victory in what proved to be a short, World Cup ski jumping event of only one round.
Lappi’s jump reached 141 metres in the early stages of the competition. Sleet caused difficulties for later jumpers in the only round. Another Finn, Janne Ahonen, had difficulties maintaining a balance already before the actual jump, when his ski hit loose snow.
Saturday’s competition had to be cancelled because of wind and rain.
Hannu Manninen was unable to give a repeat performance of his victory in last year’s Nordic combined event in Ruka. However, he did make it to the podium - in second place, just under 20 seconds behind France’s Jason Lamy Chappius - in Saturday's normal competition. Manninen got his start four and a half minutes behind Chappius, whose performance in the ski jump was excellent.
Poor weather conditions also forced the cancellation of the combined sprint competition scheduled for Sunday.
In Aspen, Colorado, Tanja Poutiainen came in second in the World Cup giant slalom event on Saturday. She was within reach of a first-place finish, until Austria’s Kathrin Zettel wedged past the Finn. This is the first time in a year and a half that Poutiainen has done so well in a World Cup event.
In Sunday’s slalom event she finished ninth.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 27.11.2006 - TODAY |
 Sport round-up: Virpi Kuitunen excels at Nordic Skiing World Cup
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