Kerttu Niskanen stunned by poor form in Trondheim freestyle 10 km; Yle expert issues stark comparison

Finnish cross-country star Kerttu Niskanen endured a difficult day in the women’s 10 km freestyle World Cup race in Trondheim, placing 31st. She finished 1 minute 16.1 seconds behind Sweden’s winner Ebba Andersson and was the lowest-placed Finn in the race.

Several Finnish teammates finished ahead of Niskanen: Jasmi Joensuu was 14th, Vilma Ryytty 18th, Vilma Nissinen 20th, and Jasmin Kähärä 22nd. Krista Pärmäkoski did not start due to acid reflux symptoms.

Speaking to Viaplay after the race, Niskanen admitted she was baffled by her poor form. “I can’t get anywhere,” she said, adding she did not know the reason. She noted that early-season World Cups have sometimes been weak for her in past years, with improvement typically coming by Davos in mid-December and during the Tour de Ski—but this time she is unsure why her level is so far off. She had not yet discussed the situation with her coach and husband, Juho Mikkonen, but acknowledged that “every race has been difficult.”

Yle’s cross-country expert Kalle Lassila offered a stark assessment, saying Niskanen’s early-season level is clearly worse than in recent years. With results slipping beyond 30th place, he questioned whether “everything is as it should be,” though he stressed there is still time and options. Given Niskanen’s stable endurance base, Lassila believes the key is to restore performance capacity and relaxation in her skiing to enable better results.

On the positive side for Finland, Jasmi Joensuu impressed. She called the Trondheim course fun, attacked the start hard, and clocked the third-fastest split at 800 meters behind Sweden’s Ebba Andersson and Moa Ilar. Having already placed seventh twice in sprints this season and 10th over 10 km classic, Joensuu said she is training more for distance events to strengthen Finland’s relay prospects and overall Olympic chances. Lassila added that Joensuu’s performance gives coaches more options for the championship relay, noting she is increasingly an all-round skier as her training volume grows.

Event context: This was a FIS Cross-Country World Cup race in Trondheim during the Olympic season, with Finland assessing athlete form ahead of key meets such as Davos and the Tour de Ski.