Jasmi Joensuu won and moved up to second in Tour de Skin overall — Yle followed the sprint

The program is not viewable outside Finland.

Jasmi Joensuu celebrates on the podium.

On the fifth stage of the Tour de Skin the athletes skied classic‑technique sprints in Val di Fiemme. Yle followed the race in this article.

Reporters: Anu Karttunen, Mika Halonen, Topias Peltonen

Published 3 Jan • Updated 3 Jan 20:04

Event: Tour de Ski, Val di Fiemme (ITA)

Saturday 3 Jan — 13:15 Qualification (women's and men's classic sprint) — 15:45 Sprint heats

Bullet summary

• Jasmi Joensuu took the first individual World Cup win of her career by winning the Val di Fiemme sprint. Johanna Matintalo finished fifth. Joni Mäki placed seventh in the men's race.
• The Central Europe ski‑jumping week continued with qualification in Innsbruck. Finnish jumpers who reached the competition were Eetu Nousiainen, Vilho Palosaari and Antti Aalto; Niko Kytösaho failed to qualify.
• In the Alpine World Cup women's giant slalom at Kranjska Gora Camille Rast won; Erika Pykäläinen did not finish the first run.

Joensuu rises to second in the Tour de Skin overall

WOMEN — STANDINGS 3 Jan (stage 5 of 6)

1. Jessie Diggins (USA) 1:34:14
2. Jasmi Joensuu (FIN) +1:19
3. Moa Ilar (SWE) +1:38
4. Johanna Matintalo (FIN) +1:39
5. Teresa Stadlober (AUT) +2:09
6. Julie Bjervig Drivenes (NOR) +2:10

Also: 18. Vilma Nissinen (FIN) +4:05; 27. Vilma Ryytty (FIN) +4:51; 29. Jasmin Kähärä (FIN) +5:21

MEN — STANDINGS 3 Jan (stage 5 of 6)

1. Johannes H. Klæbo (NOR) 1:21:48
2. Lars Heggen (NOR) +1:23
3. Mattis Stenshagen (NOR) +1:29
4. Harald Ø. Amundsen (NOR) +1:37
5. Federico Pellegrino (ITA) +1:40
6. Edvin Anger (SWE) +1:55

Also: 17. Perttu Hyvärinen (FIN) +3:11; 25. Petteri Koivisto (FIN) +4:01; 26. Joni Mäki (FIN) +4:05; 35. Niilo Moilanen (FIN) +4:46

Matintalo wiped tears of disappointment: “I just wanted the ski to hold”

The program is not available outside Finland.

Johanna Matintalo was visibly upset after the sprint final. She finished fifth — her best result of the season — but said she struggled all day with grip waxing. Matintalo repeatedly asked for more grip, but in her view the skis never held properly in any heat.

“I just wanted the ski to hold. Everyone who watched the race probably noticed it didn’t hold in any of the rounds,” Matintalo said. “I probably had the biggest equipment problems today, even though Jasmi skied well and won. It’s frustrating after fighting all day and this is the result.”

Matintalo said she came to this year’s Tour de Ski looking for individual strong results and that so far her best achievement this season has been consistent skiing.

“The last climb suits my strengths. If I get all the pieces working, I think I can deliver a good result in the Olympics in a bit more than a month,” she added.

Interview by Laura Arffman.

Niko Kytösaho failed to qualify in Innsbruck

Antti Aalto, Vilho Palosaari and Eetu Nousiainen made it through qualification for the Innsbruck round of the Central European ski‑jumping week. Niko Kytösaho did not qualify.

Aalto will face Kazakhstan’s Danil Vassiljev in the first knockout round, Palosaari meets Japan’s Ryoyu Kobayashi and Nousiainen draws Austria’s Daniel Tschofenig.

Austria dominated qualification, taking the top four places. The qualifier winner was Jan Hörl with a 128‑metre jump.

Innsbruck (HS124) — Qualification (men)

1. Jan Hörl (AUT) 132.5 Q — 2. Stefan Kraft (AUT) 131.6 Q — 3. Stephan Embacher (AUT) 129.4 Q — 4. Daniel Tschofenig (AUT) 127.9 Q — 5. Felix Hoffmann (GER) 126.8 Q — 6. Ren Nikaido (JPN) 122.9 Q — 7. Manuel Fettner (AUT) 122.7 Q — 8. Anže Lanišek (SLO) 121.1 Q — 9. Kristoffer Sundal (NOR) 120.1 Q — 9. Roman Koudelka (CZE) 120.1 Q

2. Antti Aalto (FIN) 112.6 Q — 40. Vilho Palosaari (FIN) 103.4 Q — 46. Eetu Nousiainen (FIN) 100.9 Q — 54. Niko Kytösaho (FIN) 92.0 (out)

Sprint finals — full results

Val di Fiemme, Italy — Women’s classic sprint (final)

1. Jasmi Joensuu (FIN) 3:45.75
2. Nadine Fähndrich (SUI) +0.44
3. Johanna Hagström (SWE) +1.94
4. Maja Dahlqvist (SWE) +5.03
5. Johanna Matintalo (FIN) +6.42
6. Anja Weber (SUI) +13.63

Men’s classic sprint (final)

1. Johannes H. Klæbo (NOR) 3:21.28
2. Jules Chappaz (FRA) +3.11
3. Anton Grahn (SWE) +3.14
4. Ansgar Evensen (NOR) +3.63
5. Lars Heggen (NOR) +4.26
6. Jan Stölben (GER) +11.23

“Recently married skis” gave Joensuu extra lift — “a team victory”

The program is not viewable abroad.

After her win Joensuu said she chiefly wanted to prove to herself that she is in winning shape. She thanked the Finnish service crew and her personal technician Kuisma Taipale, joking that she used skis that had been “married” two days earlier.

“I knew this was a good day. I said already yesterday this is a good and beautiful track. Today was perfect for the conditions and the day,” Joensuu said. She noted the pressure of expectations following last season but said the result felt like a team victory.

Interview by Laura Arffman.

Kläbo didn’t let anyone surprise him: dominant win

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo took control in the men’s final, breaking away on the main climb and skiing to a convincing victory. Jules Chappaz outsprinted Anton Grahn for second; Grahn was third. Ansgar Evensen and Lars Heggen followed.

Joensuu on the winner’s interview: “This feels perfect”

Joensuu had one individual World Cup podium before Val di Fiemme (second in Toblach last season). She also teamed with Kerttu Niskanen to win a classic team sprint in Cogne last season. After today’s victory she said the win means a lot and that she proved she can beat the world’s best sprinters.

“It feels perfect. This means so much,” Joensuu said. “I’ve been able to beat the world’s best sprinters and today I proved to myself I can win. I wanted a good feeling on this [Olympic] track and I got it. But the Olympics will be another race.”

A very rare achievement for a Finnish female sprinter

The last time a Finnish woman won an individual World Cup sprint was in 2013, when Mona‑Liisa Malvalehto won in Liberec. Before that Pirjo Muranen won in Rybinsk (2009) and Virpi Kuitunen in Drammen (2007).