Finnish Team with clear goals to Beitostölen

Women aim for podium, men for top 20-results

Team Finland goes to World Cup in Beitostölen with 10 skiers and clear goals:
women’s team aim for podium place, men’s team for top 20-results. The technique
and distance, 10 km classic, favour the strong women’s team with Virpi
Kuitunen,
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Kirsi Välimaa, Riikka Sarasoja and Riitta-Liisa Lassila.
Sarasoja earned her spot over Mona-Liisa Malvalehto after a qualification race.

”In Beitostölen we have our best event, 10 km classic, so the goal is clearly a
podium place. As for relay, the minimum is a podium place but for sure we aim
for victory”, women’s team coach Ismo Hämäläinen says.

Last year the Finnish men didn’t score any World Cup points in the normal
distance opening event (Olli Ohtonen was the best Finn with 31th place), but
head coach Reijo Jylhä is confident this year the goal will be accomplished.
However, the biggest expectations in the weekend for men’s team are in relay.
”Teemu Kattilakoski will go to Beitostölen just for the relay. It will be
interesting race”, Jylhä predicts.

In the five men team in Beitostölen Kattilakoski and Ohtonen are accompanied by
Sami Jauhojärvi, Ville Nousiainen and Jari Isometsä. Nousiainen’s nomination
may
have come as surprise to few people, but not for himself:
”Based on the physical tests I am in a good shape, and I like distances on
classical technique. The aim is to score points”, Nousiainen says.
The 21-years-old skier from Kouvola got to race in World Cup outside Finland
last season in Oslo, where he finished 31st.
”It was a great experience to ski there the 50 km”, Nousiainen smiles.