Kerttu Niskanen fires back at critics as Krista Pärmäkoski blames slump on illness

The Tour de Ski continued on Monday with stage two in Toblach, featuring a women’s 10 km classic individual start.

After a troubling early season and unspecified health issues, Kerttu Niskanen produced a strong performance to finish fourth, 33.2 seconds off the winner. She called it a significant step forward compared to her form in Trondheim and Ruka, where 19th places had been her best. Niskanen, who prepares largely outside the Finnish national team structure with her coach and partner Juho Mikkonen, responded to media criticism by stressing confidence in their own training plan and noting that health setbacks are a separate issue beyond planning. She confirmed she will continue the Tour.

Norway’s Astrid Øyre Slind won the race in 25:33.7, ahead of Austria’s Teresa Stadlober (+7.0) and the USA’s Jessie Diggins (+8.8). Sweden’s Frida Karlsson was fifth and Moa Ilar sixth. Finland’s Johanna Matintalo took seventh (+43.7), her best World Cup distance result since Falun 2024, and Jasmi Joensuu was 13th (+57.2), continuing her encouraging distance form. Other Finns included Vilma Ryytty 23rd, Vilma Nissinen 29th, Jasmin Kähärä 36th, and Krista Pärmäkoski 38th (+1:50.5).

Pärmäkoski, who recently skipped Davos due to illness and had earlier struggled in Trondheim, said her race felt as poor as the result and believes lingering effects of sickness explain the drop. She nonetheless plans to remain in the Tour.

Overall after Toblach, Jessie Diggins leads the women’s Tour de Ski, followed by Astrid Øyre Slind and Germany’s Coletta Rydzek, with Stadlober and Ilar close behind. Among Finns, Joensuu sits seventh overall, Niskanen 10th, and Matintalo 13th.

The article also lists the remaining Tour de Ski program in Toblach and Val di Fiemme, noting Yle’s digital coverage and TV rights arrangements (Viaplay for Toblach; TV2 and Yle Areena for Val di Fiemme in Finland).