Lauri Vuorinen lip round after the World Cup

Trondheim

World Championships The Trondheim of Norway began in a historical way in Finnish Lauri Vuorinen fired bronze in a free sprint.

Sprint has been a member of the value races since the 2001 World Championships, and only now, 24 years later, a Finnish man is on the way to the podium for the first time.

“Incomprehensibly. Even on the free, I can take the medal. Nobody would probably have thought that the sprint of the free men would become a medal, ”Vuorinen, 30, would breathe in the interview area.

It hardly believed Vuorinen himself.

Until Wednesday night, he said to the media that the semi -finals would be a nice achievement. Vuorinen’s elimination was already close in the quarter -finals, but the crash of the top men before the goal was rescued by the Finn.

The medal opportunities became more concrete in the semi -final.

“I noticed that the crowd was starting to coagulate when the conditions are a bit heavy. I had to ski on a soft surface in slow watercourses, which in itself was exceptional compared to previous season races. ”

As expected, gold was taken by the great favorite of the more than 20,000-headed home audience Johannes Hösflot Kläbo. Silver went to Italy’s experienced perimeter Federico Pellegrinolle.

Vuorinen didn’t even realize what had to be done at first.

“Somehow it felt like the medal came in a little special way. The differences were so huge. There was no terrible battle that is often. ”

“Maybe it’s going to dawn here.”

Competition Afterwards, Vuorinen experienced what the medalist’s “everyday” is.

First it was the flowers, then the ruthless media rumba in the interview area. After that, there was an official press conference at the media center.

When the entire bullshit was over, exactly two hours had passed since the end of the competition.

In the meantime, Vuorinen had time to face his spouse in the interview area Johanna Matintalowho had watched the race at the hotel and then left for the laundry in the emotional groove towards Granåsen.

Vuorinen couldn’t wait for a encounter, which was ultimately very emotional.

“Johanna just jumped on my back suddenly. I don’t know where he had come here. It was great, ”the hero said.

Vuorinen was asked what the medal meant to him.

“Now that I have achieved something big in my career. After all, everything has been done here, but especially in the value races, it has been so much so that it has been so bad. Bad fitness, illness and this. ”

“Now, for once, I managed to get in good shape and succeeded in the race.”

Medal It was a sensation in the free sprint that Vuorinen had only reached the World Cup in the final phase only once in his entire career. It happened in December 2021 in Lillehammar.

Again, this season had not given any indication of such a giant.

At the turn of the year, Tour de Skilla Vuorinen was at times in the yard like a snowman and selling his country in front of the media.

However, the condition was found at the time of the Count.

“Before Falun, there was a Vantaa Championship Week, when I was training quite a lot. It was not yet visible in Vantaa. It was part of the training session. I also went a little tired to Falun. ”

“Then just your feet toward the ceiling, and the last couple of days went really good. I realized that now I must have succeeded. I’m in delicate and good condition. Then, in the sprint, there is always a bit of a lucky thing to do. ”

In the Trondheim World Championship Sprint, Vuorinen also made a different tactical solution from many others. He skied on the long rising on the right side, even though it was on the outer side. It was a thoughtful bet.

“Even before qualifying, I went to see. If there is a soft watercourse, the sides are always harder. Most of them always ski in the middle. In the first round, I accidentally got into the middle and couldn’t get anywhere. Then I got a slightly harder platform from the edge so that the kick would not go through. ”

Sensation bronze Vuorinen had the first value race medal in his career. However, more may be coming soon.

Namely, the uptower raised expectations for next Wednesday’s pair sprint. It is even competing for Vuorinen with a better traditional skiing. He is going to have a pair Iivo Niskanen Depending on the health situation, either niskanen or Ristomatti Hakola.

“The couple’s sprint is again its own race, but it is known that the fitness is now in good shape and there can be a success. But there is another week, so now I have a little time to enjoy this, ”then to calm down and prepare.

Mountainous Now rushed to the awareness of the Finns, but it may be more surprising that he might have been the last World Sprint of his career. Vuorinen has previously suggested that he might end his career after next winter’s Olympics.

He was asked if he was influenced by career plans.

“I haven’t thought about it yet. I live this year at a time. ”

But was this the last World Sprint of her career?

“Everything is always possible,” Vuorinen acknowledged a smile on the lips.