The blue-and-white sprint Saturday ended with blue-and-yellow celebrations – Johanna Hagström won the women’s sprint
On Saturday, sprint races were held at Ruka in excellent conditions. Sunny and clear weather provided fast tracks for the skiers. Despite the cold weather, there was a large crowd of spectators.
Johanna Hagström took the victory of the day. Julie Myhre finished second, while Maja Dahlqvist claimed third place.
The sprint qualifiers started off brilliantly for Finland, with seven Finnish skiers advancing to the quarter-finals. Jasmi Joensuu with the fastest time, while Amanda Saari finished an impressive second.
When the quarter-finals began, there was a surprising situation as four Finnish skiers chose the first group. Jasmi Joensuu and Jonna Sundling advanced directly to the semi-finals. Johanna Matintalo and Amanda Saari also made it through to the next stage via time trials.
In the second quarter-final, Finnish skier Anne Kyllönen finished first. Drama unfolded at the start when Norwegian duo Ane Stenseth and Hedda Amundsen collided. The reigning World Cup champion Linn Svahn suffered the most when was forced off the track.
In the third quarter-final, Maja Dahlqvist was the fastest, followed by German skier Coletta Rydzek. Tiia Olkkonen finished last in this heat.
The fourth quarter-final was another success for Finland. Katri Lylynperä crossed the line first, ahead of Germany’s Laura Gimmler. They were the only two to advance from this heat.
There were no Finnish skiers in the last quarter-final, and Swedish representation also diminished when the Swedish Ski Federation announced that Emma Ribom would not participate. Johanna Hagström was the clear winner of the heat.
Disappointment for the home crowd since the domination of Finnish skiers did not continue. Sweden’s Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist were the fastest in the first semi-final, with Jasmi Joensuu also making it to the final through time trials. Anne Kyllönen and Amanda Saari didn’t qualify for the finals.
In the second semi-final, Finnish skiers were strong once again. Johanna Hagström advanced to the final alongside German Coletta Rydzek. Norwegian Julie Myhre finished third, while Katri Lylynperä, who finished fourth and was eliminated from the final, was the fastest Finn in the heat.
The entire sprint race progressed well for Sweden, culminating in Johanna Hagström’s victory in the final. Sweden’s double win was denied by Julie Myhre from Norway finishing second. Maja Dahlqvist finished third. Another Swedish skier, Jonna Sundling, finished fourth.
Jasmi Joensuu’s third sprint final at Ruka unfortunately did not end with a podium. After a solid performance throughout the day, Joensuu placed fifth.
“It wasn’t about big things”, Joensuu summarized immediately after the final.
Joensuu mentioned that she needed to reach a better position before the stadium climb in order to choose a better lane.
Text: Miro Tanninen and Matias Helinä
Photo: Jenny Yliselä