Aino‑Kaisa Saarinen praises Finland’s ‘second string’ after Davos while slamming Remi Lindholm’s false start; mixed fortunes for stars like Klæbo

Finnish cross‑country skiing expert Aino‑Kaisa Saarinen drew positive conclusions from the Davos World Cup weekend about Finland’s so‑called “second string,” noting that several athletes delivered career‑best results while some established stars continued to struggle.

On the men’s side, Arsi Ruuskanen finished 11th in the 10 km freestyle individual start, backing up his 8th place in the same format earlier in Trondheim. Niko Anttola, seen by many as Iivo Niskanen’s heir apparent, improved his career best to 13th in Davos after a strong individual start in Trondheim as well. Both are strong skaters and important relay candidates for the Olympics, where Finland has historically lacked depth on the free‑technique legs.

In the women’s 10 km freestyle, Vilma Ryytty achieved a personal best of 9th place, while Vilma Nissinen finished 18th, ahead of Kerttu Niskanen (22nd). Saarinen praised Ryytty’s steady progression into the top tier, calling her “on the right track” for distance racing.

The weekend’s biggest disappointment for Saarinen was Remi Lindholm. Returning to the World Cup, Lindholm jumped the start by three seconds in the 10 km individual start—he said he aimed to catch Harald Østberg Amundsen’s slipstream on lap two. He received a time penalty and, combined with a weak performance, ended up 49th and nearly two minutes behind the winner. Saarinen said his actions reflected panic after a summer marred by back stress fractures and urged him to target later‑season goals like Holmenkollen’s 50 km rather than chasing an Olympic spot.

Saarinen also questioned Johannes Høsflot Klæbo’s tactical approach. After winning the team sprint with Erik Valnes on Friday and advocating front‑running on the difficult course, Klæbo raced from the back in Saturday’s sprint heats, got into trouble, and was eliminated unusually early. Saarinen called it a textbook case of a panicked athlete making poor choices.

With the World Cup now breaking for Christmas before a shortened Tour de Ski, Saarinen said Finnish athletes have learned a lot about their Olympic prospects. Some are already secure in selection, while others must decide whether to race the Tour in full, do a partial program, or prioritize a training block to peak later.