Krista Pärmäkoski withdraws from Trondheim World Cup race: “It hurts to breathe”

Finland’s Krista Pärmäkoski has withdrawn from Sunday’s women’s 10 km race at the Cross‑Country World Cup in Trondheim. She messaged Yle’s Urheilustudio that the heartburn is so severe that “it still hurts to breathe.”

On Saturday, Pärmäkoski finished 26th in the skiathlon, one minute and 50 seconds behind winner Jessie Diggins. She told Viaplay the race was about survival: her skis were excellent, but she couldn’t fight at the front. She said the cause was a moldy bun she ate with a hamburger at Friday’s lunch.

“It led to heartburn. Terrible cramps hit during the race. I couldn’t breathe properly. I tried to the end, but the heartburn grew so strong that there was nothing to be done,” Pärmäkoski explained.

Yle cross‑country expert Kalle Lassila noted that the airways are a crucial tool for a skier. “If there is irritation in the airways and it’s strong, it makes no sense to start. Next we go to altitude, where the air is dry; that also stresses the respiratory system. Those need to be in as good condition as possible before heading there,” he said, referring to next weekend’s World Cup races in Davos, Switzerland.

The moldy bun incident was already discussed on Sunday morning in Urheilustudio even before the withdrawal was confirmed. Endurance athletes are usually meticulous about food and sleep, but sometimes convenience foods happen when energy intake is the priority, Lassila added.