Finland’s second medal at the Milano Cortina Olympics came in cross-country skiing. The team consisting of Johanna Matintalo, Kerttu Niskanen, Vilma Ryytty, and Jasmi Joensuu won bronze in the women’s 4 x 7.5 kilometer relay, which was skied in heavy slush.

Johanna Matintalo started Finland’s relay with the traditional leg. At the first changeover, Matintalo had brought Finland up to sixth place, 12.2 seconds behind Sweden’s Linn Svahn.

– Pretty good. Not exceptional, but today’s conditions and track were challenging. Some of my main competitors performed worse than me, while Matintalo did his part.

Kerttu Niskanen lifted Finland to second place in the latter traditional section, 23.4 seconds behind Norway. Things got dramatic in this section when Sweden’s Ebba Andersson fell twice and broke her ski on the second fall.

– It was an eventful stage. It was a tough start, but I wanted to go there in Slind’s (Astrid Öyre from Norway) arms. You have to adapt to the situation, and I think many others also fought hard. The weather was tough and the worst downhill section was extremely soft. I had to play it safe when it came to the relay, Niskanen emphasized.

First-time relay runner Vilma Ryytty did not hold back on the third leg. The gap to Norway grew to 48.3 seconds, but Ryytty shook off her main rivals from Switzerland and kept Finland in second place in the relay.

“I got into a good flow and didn’t think about the situation. I knew I could ski faster than my closest competitors. I just picked up speed going up the hill and hoped the others would lose speed,” smiles Ryytty.

Communication medal after a 12-year hiatus

In the final stretch, Sweden’s Jonna Sundling caught up with Jasmi Joensuu and secured the silver medal for Sweden on the last lap. However, the other competitors had already fallen so far behind that Joensuu was able to take a clear third place for Finland. The gap to Germany, which finished fourth, was 21.3 seconds.

“In a way, I felt relieved at the finish line. We have ended up in fourth place in the sprint several times, and there have been many disappointed women. I have lost such sprints myself, and this time I didn’t want any sprint battles. I skied at my own pace – I skied fast and took the downhill sections safely,” said Joensuu.

For Matintalo, Ryytty, and Joensuu, the Olympic medal was the first in their careers. For Niskanen, who was participating in his fourth Olympic Games, the Olympic medal was already the fifth in his career from three different Olympic Games.

This is Finland’s 87th medal in cross-country skiing in Olympic history. It is Finland’s tenth Olympic medal in the women’s relay. The previous one was 12 years ago in Sochi, where Niskanen skied the third leg between Anne Kyllönen, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, and Krista Lähteenmäki (now Pärmäkoski) as the team won Olympic silver.