This is how much Suvi Minkkinen and Tero Seppälä earned from their historic win

Finland Tero Seppälä and Suvi Minkkinen won the mixed doubles relay at the Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof, Germany. France lost to Finland by 5.8 seconds, Germany by 24.9 seconds.

The win is both Seppälä’s and Minkkinen’s first in the World Cup. The victory came with good skiing and the best shooting of the race, as Finland finished the race with five spare cartridges. France used eight spare cartridges and Germany 11.

First place brought the Finnish duo a prize pool of 13,000 euros.

The victory is very rare, because the last time Finland reached first place in the World Cup in relay events was in the winter of 1990. At that time, Finland won the women’s 3×6 kilometer relay in Antholz, Italy. In the couple relay, Minkkinen and Otto Invenius took a historic first podium place in Oslo last March after finishing third.

Finland’s previous victory in the World Cup came exactly five years ago on January 12, 2020, when Kaisa Mäkäräinen got the last cup win of his career. And no matter what, it came just after Finland’s biathlon queen won the combined start in Oberhof.

The blacksmith brought Finland’s first exchange in fifth place, and Minkkinen took Finland’s top spot in the women’s division. After Seppälä’s second stage, Finland was third, 12.9 seconds behind the top team Germany and 9.5 seconds behind France.

On the last leg, Minkkinen shot brilliantly without even needing spare cartridges, and when his competitors had to rely on them, Minkkinen was able to bring home a huge victory. The expressions of the duo on the highest podium of the podium told how wonderful the victory felt.

“An amazing feeling. There are no words for this other than absolutely amazing,” Minkkinen said in the announcement.

According to Minkkinen, they were involved in the battle for the podium the whole time.

“When Tero brought in the last change from such good positions”, it was the end of just a mental game.

Minkkinen also revealed what helped him keep a cool head.

“I was yesterday [takaa-ajokisassa] so impressed Lou Jeanmonnot’n a calm performance in a similar situation in the forward position, and I thought of him in the last shooting.”

“On the last hill, I put everything into play, because I knew that my strengths were on the hill. The final flat turned out well and I even got up to vent on the finish line. It was a cool feeling,” Minkkinen said.

Mink along with the third place in the mixed doubles relay last March, has also reached the cup podium on personal trips. For Seppälä, today’s rise to the podium is the first in his career, after more than 200 international races.

“It was a great day. We knew the possibilities for success, but you always have to work for it. Today I got enough good shots and sent Suvi from a good position to the last leg,” Seppälä said in the press release.

Seppälä shared recognition with Minkkinen.

“Suvi did an absolutely incredible anchor part, after which we got to celebrate the victory. A really good day all in all and all areas work. The skis worked and my fitness and shooting felt good. It was great.”