Virpi Kuitunen, Elina Hietamäki, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Pirjo Manninen, Olli
Ohtonen, Keijo Kurttila, Jari Isometsä, Teemu Kattilakoski and other top Finnish
cross country skiers will compete in Finnish Championships in Rovaniemi next
weekend (March 26-28).
Mika Myllylä, who has been struggling with minor heart problems, has signed up
to 50 K race which is scheduled on Sunday 28th.
On Friday men will compete in 10 K race and women in 5 K, both in free
technique. On Saturday team sprints take place in classic technique and on
Sunday men race 50 K and women 30 K also in classic technique.
The competitions are a good place for skiers to show their abilities for
national teams’ selections for next year.
– Finnish Championships always count for that. Even though the distances in
Rovaniemi are not raced so often, they are still important. The time of year
(end of March) doesn’t prevent us from paying attentions to good performances,
head coach Reijo Jylhä reminds.
For example 24-years-old Juha Lallukka (who finished 26th in World Cup in
Pragelato, his second World Cup race ever) is currently not member of any
national teams.
