Cross-Country World Cup starts for the normal distances on Saturday.

On Saturday, the World Cup starts also for the normal distances. In the women’s first competition, ladies will ski 10 kilometers with the traditional way as an intermediate start.

For Finns, there will be an interesting competition when Kerttu Niskanen, who won silver on this particular distance from the Beijing Olympics, gets to start her World Cup season. A good result can also be expected from Krista Pärmäkoski, after her great last training season.

Jasmi Joensuu took part in the World Cup final for the first time, finishing fourth place in the sprint on Friday.

A new era is about to start for women’s cross-country skiing. ,

One of the athletes aiming for Johaug’s place is Sweden’s Frida Karlsson.

Karlsson, who celebrated victory in the Ruka 10 km race last season,. is ready to fight for victory this year as well. Karlsson said after the Friday’s sprint race

that she is in good shape, and that it will certainly show in the rest of the

weekend’s competition. A high-level competition can be expected, when the world’s best skiers get to measure each others for the first time on Ruka’s renewed five-kilometer track.

Text: Yvonne Koch

Photo: Jarno Jumppanen

Laajasalon opisto