Kerttu Niskanen slams her race – blunt on what comes next

Finnish cross‑country skier Vilma Ryytty, 24, produced the top Finnish result in the Davos women’s 10 km freestyle interval start, placing ninth — her best World Cup finish to date. Her previous best was 12th, and she said the small gap to the front — 37 seconds to the winner — was an encouraging step toward the leaders. She noted the icy corners in Davos didn’t suit her, and she took a slightly safer approach near the finish to avoid a fall, which she felt may have cost her one place.

The race was won by Norway’s Karoline Simpson‑Larsen, with Sweden’s Moa Ilar second and Norway’s Astrid Øyre Slind third. Germany’s Helen Hoffmann finished eighth, 10 seconds ahead of Ryytty.

Kerttu Niskanen’s struggles continued, as she finished only 22nd, more than a minute behind the winner. Another Finn, Vilma Nissinen, placed 18th between Ryytty and Niskanen. Niskanen said her situation is getting worse rather than better, noting that not all of the top names even raced in Davos. She admitted she cannot currently get power out of her body and questioned the point of continuing to compete if her form keeps declining, saying it’s time to “blow the whistle and stop” until the issues are identified.

Women’s national‑team coach Pia Pekonen, who led the team in Davos, expressed satisfaction with Ryytty’s performance and confidence that Niskanen and her coach Juho Mikkonen can still find solutions looking ahead toward the Milano–Cortina 2026 Olympics.

The article was updated to clarify that Vilma Ryytty is 24 years old, not 25.