Markus Vuorela, Juuso Haarala and Petteri Koivisto were rejected in the Skandinavia Cup

To the same at the time when the skiing world cup was being contested in Davos, Switzerland, the second highest racing series, the Scandinavia Cup, was being held in Lillehammer, Norway.

A large number of Finnish skiers participated in Norway. However, a surprising fact was revealed from the results lists of Saturday’s 20 km traditional joint start race, when no less than three blue and whites had been rejected.

Rejected were Markus Vuorela, Juuso Haarala and Petteri Koivisto. No other country’s skiers were disqualified.

Unlike last winter’s Skandinavia Cup in Otepää, this time the reason was not the mass cartage of banned fluoride creams, says a member of the Finnish maintenance forces in Lillehammer Mika Strom Monday morning by phone.

“It was such a situation that in the evening at the meeting of the team leaders, the shift skiing area was not announced. After the team leaders’ meeting, it was decided to make a shift skiing area up there on the big hill,” says Ström.

“When more than 200 guys start together, the guys said that they didn’t have any smell of any ski area. There were no signs in that group of skiers. Our guys were pulling a taser in the shift skiing area, and it was a wreck.”

Vuorela, Haarala and Koivisto were therefore all rejected due to repeated push-ups in the shift skiing area.

Also a fourth Finn, Niko Husuahad been warned for pushing, but he survived the race only with a yellow card.

Finland Responsible coach of B and U23 national teams Jussi Piirainen confirms that it happened in the way Ström described earlier.

“We held a team meeting in the evening after the team leaders’ meeting, and the information about the shift skiing area naturally did not reach the athletes either. It had become a message in the WhatsApp group later in the evening, but not so clearly that it would have popped up from there,” explains Piirainen, referring to the information group of the race organizers.

“The shift skiing area in question was still in a slightly gentle terrain, where it doesn’t even make sense to put such a thing. The athletes just didn’t know or notice it, so it happened. Usually, the organizers make sure that everyone is aware of it at the team leaders’ meeting. It should be managed in such a way that such people would not be able to visit, Piirainen continues.”

Saturday The best Finn in the 20-kilometer joint start was 12th Niko Anttola. With their huge mass of skiers, the Norwegians dominated the Games to their heart’s content.

Also on Sunday, Anttola was the best Finn in the free 10 km time trial start. This time the ranking was 16th.

National team member Anttola fell ill just before the opening of the World Cup in Ruka, which is why he opened his international competition season only now at the Scandinavia Cup in Lillehammer.

At 11.37: Added Piirainen’s comments.