Jasmi Joensuu’s all-time opportunity crashed into this moment

Val di Fiemme

Ski Tour continued on Friday on stage 5/7 in Italy’s Val di Fiemme. It was the traditional sprints and the table was set Jasmi Joensuu.

When many of the world’s sprint championships were gone, Joensuu, who skied the first podium place of his career last Saturday in Toblach, started the competition as one of the few early favorites. Even the possibility of winning was considered completely realistic.

The victory in the qualifier and the dominating start only raised the expectations even more.

However, Joensuu’s all-time chance fell in the semifinals. The final ranking was seventh.

Switzerland skied to victory in the sprint Nadine Fähndrich before Sweden Linn Svahnia and big surprise, Norway Heidi Weng. Finland Jasmin Kähärä pounded the best of his career as high as fourth.

“When 7th place in the World Cup is a really big disappointment, you can say that things are fine as they are. But this is sad, Joensuu said after the race.

Joensuu the game collapsed into a tactical skirmish on the last climb. She got up there as the leading lady but stopped to wait for the others.

Joensuu didn’t want to start at the front of a tight group for the final race. It finally backfired. Weng smelled her chance and with a quick push, she was the top scorer.

In the end, Joensuu finished third in his heat, but due to waiting on the hill, the time was not enough in the time comparison.

“Yes, you should have skied from there. It was my own fault,” Joensuu said.

“I trusted that the ski was so good that I could count with it. Heidi sensibly left at high speed. You should have just continued the bet yourself.”

It might have seemed to some that Joensuu played in the semi-final with a bit of an eye on the final, and didn’t really put everything into the game even in the Zorzi rise.

He himself denied such banter.

“Yes, you have to take care of all these at home before you can focus on the final. A tactical mistake. Maybe the first of this season. But you have to learn from mistakes, and not be left to mourn the dirt.”

In any case, in 7th place, Joensuu rose to sixth place in the Tour’s overall standings.

Amidst the disappointment, he also made the decision to continue the tour until Saturday’s skiathlon – and if nothing surprising happens, then for the first time in his career until the final ascent of Alpe Cermis.

“There was so much to worry about that we will now continue the Tour for the same reason,” announced Joensuu.

Other Finnish women Johanna Matintalo missed the semi-finals like Joensuu on Friday, Kerttu Niskanen and Krista Pärmäkoski to the preliminaries.

Friday the sprint was also a test race for next winter’s Olympics. Olympic medals will also be fought for next year in the traditional way of skiing.

The renovated course divided the opinions of skiers.

“Yes, I like this track. And now at least we know what not to do,” Joensuu said.