Nordic SkiingCross Country - Finland
Getty Images
In an interview with Finnish YLE TV 2 Iivo Niskanen already projecting his full attention to the 50km classic technique of PyeongChang, telling the preparation and tactics that have already experienced last month during the 50km Holmenkollen.
Monday 24 April 2017 9 minutes reading time
Despite having taken place only forty days from his victory in the classic 15km World Championships in Lahti, and they are still missing ten months at the Olympic Winter Games, Iivo Niskanen has already '' revealed on his personal agenda with a red circle when the next February 25, 2018 as a priority agenda of all its next season.
Interviewed by the Finnish TV during Game 2 of the finals of the ice hockey championship on ice that his favorite team KalPa Kuopio is playing against the favorite Tappara Tampere, Niskanen made no secret that for some time he was already '' thinking about 50km classic PyeongChang as the most '' in keeping competition to its characteristics to repeat the 'Olympic gold in Sochi got in the team sprint together all''amico fraternal Sami Jauhojärvi.
In fact, the day after winning the home dell''oro World Championship in Lahti 2017, Iivo began its approach plane to 50km Olympic skipping the 50km free Lahti to prepare strategies and training methods with the next 50km classic mass start at Holmenkollen. It is not '' been a coincidence that the race was in Oslo nell''identico format that we will see in South Korea: the beloved classic and mass start.
At Holmenkollen to try to get the least number of fast athletes can, the 25 year old of Vieremä has already launched their attack on the 15th Km. The 'only one able to resist him was Martin Johnsrud Sundby beating' 'Niskanen only in the final climb dell''ultimo km. This tactic probably will not deviate much from what '' we will see ups and downs along the dell''Alpensia Resort in February 2018 with talented classical Finnish to dictate its own pace since the early Km. Iivo spoke positively dell''esperienza had to Holmenkollen last month: "I had little experience in long races mass start classic and I think a good experience is necessary to win the 'Olympic gold in the kind of collective competitions. It is acquired through the years and '' and very important. If you do not dispute that kind of mass start, you can not know exactly the parameters that require the kind of races and type of preparation that it needs. That and '' different from a competition starting at intervals. "
This type of aggressive tactics and '' for him anyway mandatory given his lack of feeling with sprints full-strength: "If at the end of a 50km you will come '', however the final sprint I will have to have to be at my top form keep up my speed '' in the final and find more energy after a tough 50km. This and '' what on which more focus my summer / autumn preparation. "
Training and preparation that Niskanen begin between a fortnight but that probably will match '' closely the hard training set by his coach Ohtonen that 'led all''oro in Lahti this season. URL:
Although the FIS has not yet established the official race calendar for the 2017-18 season, Iivo has already '' in mind and planned his approach program for the 'Olympic event: "We know roughly the location of headquarters World Cup, but not yet the race format. The World Cup certainly will not be a priority in my program and I'll skip some race weekends following the successful pattern of this season. The Tour de Ski is a top event for many cross-country skiers but still not for me. Probably I'll start the tour but I will follow the final climb of the Alpe Cermis. (Continued laughter NDR). Everything will be finalized to be up to February 2018, and to fulfill my dream of getting an individual Olympic gold. "
And although last season the Finn has preferred to avoid the long Asian trip to test the Koreans tracks and try there the materials because he thought it better to prevent diseases in view of the world of home, the highest representative in terms of current alternately aesthetic consider you have enough information and knowledge about what will await him at 700 meters altitude dell''Alpensia Resort. "The 'altitude in PyeongChang should not cause any problem for cross-country skiers, but the dry air conditions, hot snows and temperatures above zero definitely affect for the preparation of the materials. After all is pretty simple, I just have to ski them well. But I'm not worried, because my Finnish Skimen have always done a great job in the competitions that count, both in Lahti and in the last Olympics in Sochi. "
Niskanen has never been to Korea before, but for some is studying videos of the last pre-Olympic races who watched with attention to television. "With the technical present there in February we looked good all race courses, from the distance relay races profiles are quite challenging and this is good for me. They require a lot of effort by athletes and hard training to address them to the best of ability. "
Before launching the puck on the ice of Kuopio arena for the 'initial engagement race 2, Iivo ends the conversation turning one final thought for the' close friend Sami Jauhojärvi who recently abandoned the 'competitive activity of high level, "Sami has had a long and remarkable career, which culminated with the 'Olympic gold medal in Lahti. In the end I think he has done the right thing. He decided to stop being still in the '' world's elite fund. But now I believe that Finland will find other young and hungry skiers soon can worthily replace the Jauhojärvi position and what Sami has done for the relay in these years will be a great motivation for the young man who will take over. "
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Social media engagement
Ultimi in Sport invernali
Scheib rientra in Europa dopo 29 giorni tra Argentina e Cile: Un lavoro molto buono. Sarà lei la favorita a Soelden
La detentrice della Coppa del Mondo di gigante, che proprio dall'opening sul Rettenbach ha iniziato a costruire lo scorso anno quel trionfo, ha diviso a metà il lavoro tra focus sulla sua disciplina a Ushuaia e poi velocità sulle nevi cilene pensando al super-g. Rifinitura a Pitztal e poi direttamente a Soelden, il set-up finale lo definiremo in quel momento.
2