COVID case reshapes Krista Pärmäkoski’s plans — she will start the Tour de Ski

Finland’s Krista Pärmäkoski had planned to be racing and training in Davos, but a positive COVID test forced a change of plans. After experiencing heartburn during the Trondheim World Cup and increased sniffles upon reaching Davos, she tested positive and opted to relocate to Levi, Lapland, where snow conditions are reliable. She reports that recovery has gone well: sleep and general sensations are good, and she is easing back into training with a quality session planned in two days. While the virus was felt in her airways, she has not had coughing and does not expect lasting effects.

Pärmäkoski admits she should have taken the Trondheim symptoms more seriously, noting she typically reacts to illness via stomach issues. She had received a COVID vaccine a month earlier and believes it helped keep symptoms mild; her previous COVID bouts have also been relatively light.

The illness altered her competition schedule. She missed the Davos World Cup races she intended to start, but the setback clarified her approach to the Tour de Ski: she now plans to travel with the Finnish team and at least open the Tour, continuing stage-by-stage depending on how her body responds and recovers. Potential Olympic test courses in Val di Fiemme were not a factor in her decision, as she knows those tracks well from past seasons. She also preferred the higher‑level international racing of the Tour over the concurrent Scandinavian Cup in Vantaa — and, practically, her race skis are already in the team truck.

Her Christmas will be largely on the road: Christmas Eve in Levi, then a flight to Helsinki on Christmas Day before heading to the Tour with the national team. Despite the interruption, Pärmäkoski remains confident in her form. She highlighted her 9th place in the 10 km classic in Ruka as proof of good shape, while her 26th in Trondheim’s skiathlon came as illness symptoms began to appear. She sees no need to change her season goals and aims to stay healthy through the next two months, preferring to have been sick now rather than during or after the Tour.