Nordic SkiingCross Country - Finland
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Let's know more '' closely the recent winner of the 'gold medal in the classic 15km of Lahti World Championships. The beginnings, its philosophy, training and his plan to bring back the top Finnish bottom.
Wednesday 8 March 2017 12 minutes reading time
When 14 February 2014 Iivo Niskanen lost the Olympic bronze medal for only 0.2 "by Sweden's Daniel Rickardsson in the classic 15km of the Olympic Games in Sochi, the date of 15km in an alternate world of Lahti in 2017 and '' imprinted in his mind as primary objective not to be missed for anything in the world.
Since that day, the 25 year old Finnish cross-country skier has centralized all its preparation to get the neck of the 'gold medal he dreamed as a child when he saw the world in nine years preceding 2001 to the television cheering for the' idol Mika Myllylä.
To get all''agognato iridescent gold has played every type of workout possible: mountain running, cycling, rollerski, long swims in the icy lakes surrounding Kuopio, cross-country and the typical Finnish training to strengthen muscles that running is practiced in many ponds wetlands that dot the central lakes region.
Only this season the actual hours of training rose to over 900 without considering the hours spent in the gym to upgrade. Of these hard training that often come close to the pain but now turns into pleasure Iivo mention it in this way: "Pain? And '' a feeling similar to putting a '' lighter in your lungs that is internally powered on to you. You so much that you feel the burning pain even the next morning. And '' a pretty brutal feeling. "
- NO PAIN NO GAIN - This motto well describes his type of training. "Only with hard exercises you can push your body to the absolute limit. In a way, this and '' just what I seek. When you give all your vision may be blurry, and some times you feel to vomit, but this is only healthy. Certainly the cross-country ski races are very hard, but what consoles and '' that others feel the same pain during competition. If you can understand the pain and push you even further then your chances are great. "
Even the 'current coach Olli Ohtonen confirms this huge Iivo spirit of sacrifice: "Niskanen has not nell''entrare problems in the so called -side oscuro- and resist the pain. I think that people who choose cross-country skiing as a sport are the people who resist more pain and in a sense they appreciate it more. "
Born 25 years ago in the small town of only three thousand five hundred souls in Vieremä - one hundred kilometers north of Kuopio - in the region of Northern Savonia from parents who had never put skis on, the little Iivo is dragged to a competitive cross-country from older sister Kerttu already active since childhood. Until that time, the new world champion only dabbled with football and with the cross-country race.
Seeing his idol on TV Mika Myllylä, Iivo was increasingly tempted to follow in his footsteps and leave the football.
In the days following the fall of the 'involved in the team sprint, Niskanen and' 'was attacked very hard by the Swedish and Norwegian press about the fact that you have an idol of an athlete involved in the facts related to the 2001 doping. But he very quietly but very firmly clarifies the concept: "Mika Myllylä is no longer here with us. The media pressure the 'took away. He can finally rest in peace. Myllylä won when I was 8/9 years and tifavo for a Finnish number and did not know the slightest of things related to doping. I liked how the world's best skiers and hoped that anch''io could one day be the best in the world. "
After the first beginnings competitive as all Finnish guys with regional races, for Iivo to 15year comes time to follow his sister Kerttu and attend the renowned Institute of Vuokatti Sports.
sports Nell''accademia of Kainuu, immediately under the care of her first real coach, the magician of the classical technique Esko Paavola which boasts among its "discoveries" various Jauhojärvi, Pärmäkoski well as Kerttu Niskanen.
Coach Paavola had remembers the first time with the lesser of Niskanen: "I immediately realized that the boy had the great potential to display. Iivo and '' always been very analytical and meticulous in training, had a great hunger to know everything on the skiing techniques. He showed an '' attitude from the top athlete in high school already. In his spare time constantly he is studying his videos related to its technique shown in training. He is analyzing every detail and discussed with all the coaches in Vuokatti ". But in all his years in high school Niskanen has always had in all the winters numerous problems related to his health, with several ongoing and stop because of the virus, bronchitis and various respiratory problems that have limited the potential over the years as a junior .
In one of those rare periods of great physical condition Paavola coach remembers a relevant anecdote had in Lapland. "We were in Yllas to dispute a FIS race in late March and Iivo was 17 and competed in a 10km classic technique. At that time he was not plagued by any health problem, and it felt so good that he was able to set the fastest time by beating the 'Estonian Veerpalu that quell''anno won the' gold in Liberec 2009. "
In subsequent seasons in years as a junior Niskanen did remarkable things in the world championships of the category in which I participate '', earning only a bronze in the relay Suomi to Otepää 2011.
But then from January 30, 2014, left momentarily free from seasonal viruses, his career turned permanently to a close vortex of great results began with the 'gold in the 15km classic in Val di Fiemme in the u23 world. Two days later it revealed '' at the international level with sensational 8th place in the World Cup in Dobbiaco with whom you assure '' the place for Russian Olympiad.
In Sochi after the great disappointment in the classic 15km, Iivo is remade with interest and with his trusted friend Sami Jauhojärvi won an incredible of 'gold medal in the team sprint.
magical year 2014, which ended with his first victory in obtained along the preferred route of Ruka World Cup. Then apart from the Nordic Opening in the next two seasons the new number one of Finland does not distinguished himself especially because new small but repeated health problems. So in conjunction with the new coach Olli Ohtonen prepare a different strategy with the sole intention of getting to the top for the 'home event in Lahti:
- Limit the training camps in the Alps,
- Restrict the movements and training mainly in Kuopio area where he now resides,
- Limit the number of races,
- Avoid the 'wasted effort of the Tour de Ski -.
their winning strategy that 'have led since November to second success in Ruka, not to get sick and to get to the top of the psychophysical condition of February to center his best win in front of the Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.
I remember a phrase that the young Iivo said during the Finnish Championships of Vaajakoski to end March 2014: "I won the 'Olympic gold, and that' 'more' 'prestigious World Cup but Lahti and' 'the right place where I really want return the Finnish public the pleasure to cheer an entire people to support the Suomi bottom. "
And in Lahti Iivo Niskanen the 'really did.
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