Suvi Minkkinen’s huge pursuit charge impresses Kaisa Mäkäräinen – expert pokes Finland’s cross-country team

Finnish biathlete Suvi Minkkinen capped her Hochfilzen World Cup weekend with a brilliant comeback in the pursuit. After a poor sprint left her starting 49th, she climbed nearly 40 places to finish 13th, hitting 19 of 20 targets and skiing strongly. She finished 1:08 behind Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi, who won ahead of Sweden’s Anna Magnusson and Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide.

Minkkinen, 31, now ranks sixth in the overall World Cup with 219 points. Magnusson leads the standings and currently wears the yellow bib, holding a 95‑point advantage over Minkkinen. Commentator Johannes Oikarinen called Minkkinen’s performance “world‑class,” and Yle expert Kaisa Mäkäräinen lauded her aggressive approach on the range and the strong skiing seen also in Saturday’s relay.

Hochfilzen began poorly for Minkkinen with 49th in the sprint, but she rebounded in the women’s relay, where Finland climbed steadily and Minkkinen anchored the team to fourth place—the Finnish women’s best World Cup relay result since 1999.

Before Christmas, the biathlon World Cup moves to Annecy–Le Grand‑Bornand in France. Mäkäräinen believes the course profile there—gentler terrain that favors the Wassberg technique—suits Minkkinen and expects her form to continue.

Overall, Finland’s biathlon women have started the season strongly, already collecting three podiums (two by Minkkinen and one by Sonja Leinamo). By contrast, Finland’s cross‑country skiers are still seeking their first podium of the winter, a point Mäkäräinen noted while praising the biathletes’ momentum.