Virpi Kuitunen shines in skiing sprint event at Asiago, Italy

print this

So far this season the cross-country skiers have not had as much to smile about as the ski-jumpers or the Nordic Combined fraternity, but there are signs of a recovery in this very traditional Finnish sport, at least among the women.
      On Tuesday Virpi Kuitunen came 2nd in the 1.2 km World Cup sprint event held in Asiago in Italy. The race was won by Norway’s Marit Björgen, who has now taken top spot in all three of the sprint events this season. The Norwegian also dominated the event in the 2003/2004 World Cup.
      Kuitunen, who also has a 3rd place from the season’s opener over 10 kilometres at Gällivare in Sweden, was given support by Aino-Kaisa Saarinen (7th) and Kirsi Välimaa (9th).
      The Finnish men still have some way to go before they warrant a podium place, but in their sprint event on Tuesday Jari Joutsen did manage 8th, and Keijo Kurttila was 12th.


Links:
  FIS results: Cross Country, Asiago

Helsingin Sanomat