Can Finland’s women close the big gap to the top? Expert Ville Nousiainen’s cautiously optimistic take

An icy, treacherous track in Ruka caused major problems for Finland’s women during the 20 km freestyle mass start, with four athletes—Hilla Niemelä, Anni Alakoski, Eveliina Piippo and Oona Kettunen—pulling out after struggling to get their ski edges to hold. Kettunen crashed on the first downhill and quickly decided not to risk injury for a marginal placing. Piippo likewise chose not to jeopardize future races, lamenting taking a start spot from someone who might have finished.

Vilma Nissinen was among the few Finns comfortable on the fast descents, though Germany’s Sofie Krehl caused her issues mid‑race. Hilla Niemelä called her own performance a “loser’s run.”

Among the Finns, Krista Pärmäkoski placed 16th and Kerttu Niskanen 20th, but both were far off the winner, Sweden’s Jonna Sundling, by 1:41.5 and 1:49.1 respectively. Yle expert Ville Nousiainen had hoped the gap would be smaller, noting Finnish men around 30th were less than a minute off the lead. He stressed that it’s harder to close 2–3 minutes than 1–1.5 minutes, but reminded that Pärmäkoski and Niskanen have historically raised their level as the season unfolds. The open question is whether those behind them can improve at the same rate.

Women’s coach Reijo Jylhä said the international top level is fierce, but Finland does have a few athletes in the chase group, and training suggests their speed will improve relative to those ahead. Niskanen admitted her form is still sluggish and said she typically races herself into shape.

Pärmäkoski, who debuted in the World Cup at Ruka in 2008 and raced there for the last time this weekend, admitted she had rarely felt so scared on course: the icy track and a sticky section on the stadium descent rattled her. Still, she finished safely.

Jylhä noted that in principle Finland’s women have progressed—last year the top Finn was only 23rd—but these are not the results they aimed for. Vilma Ryytty, who crashed early and finished only 36th in her main event, wondered if she would get more World Cup chances; Jylhä said more selection opportunities are coming given the small women’s team depth.

Looking across the whole Ruka weekend, Nousiainen saw few Finnish highlights compared to last year, when Iivo Niskanen and Lauri Vuorinen reached the podium. This time, podiums eluded Finland, though there were positives: Niskanen’s 5th in the 10 km classic and sprint final berths for Vuorinen and Johanna Matintalo. Clear disappointments included Vilma Ryytty’s struggles and Remi Lindholm’s 49th in the 20 km. On the men’s side, newcomers Veeti Pyykkö and Kalle Parantainen have impressively inserted themselves into the national‑team conversation. By contrast, on the women’s side, opportunities tend to come only as the veteran guard steps aside—something Nousiainen argued should change, with younger athletes pushing established names out via performance.

Overall, the assessment is that while the women currently trail the international elite by a significant margin, both the expert and the coach believe the gap can narrow as fitness and speed build through the season.