FIS logo
Presented by

17th Vuokatti Aateli Noble race

Jul 02, 2021·Cross-Country
Hero image

For the 17th time, last seasons host of the Junior World Ski Championships - Vuokatti - has invited Finland's top skiers the traditional Rollerski competitions. For the first time this year, the traditional race week after Midsummer included various education events and coaching seminars besides the races.

Find all results of the U14 and U16 competitions here.

All results of Tuesdays U18 competitions can be found here.

The elite competitions were dictated by the Niskanen siblings, Iivo and Kerttu.

The two-day competition event of Vuokatti's Aateli Race, already held for the 17th time, offered a fast-paced journey in the heart of Kainuu. The victories went to the same family when Kerttu Niskanen became the princess of Vuokatti's danger and Iivo Niskanen became the marshal .

Krista Pärmäkoski , who led the women's race after the prologue, did not start for the running leg. Instead, Johanna Matintalo, who skied to third place in the prologue, ran the fastest distance of three kilometers. Kerttu Niskanen was nine in the run, and the gap with Matintalo was chased by 28 seconds.

Before Vuokatti's danger increased, Niskanen had caught up with Johanna Matintalo and came to the finish line for the third time.

"It was tough. Yesterday was not good, but neither was any disaster. Today the run was just awful, I haven’t run the powers this way yet, so it felt bad. When I left for the chase, my hind legs were already acidic. I had to be tough, but such hard powers are needed. This is where it starts again."Kerttu Niskanen

Johanna Matintalo's tactic, which slipped to the finish line 22 seconds after Niskanen, was to keep up the pace.

"I tried to keep a good pace on the roller coaster so that Kerttu is not allowed to free the ride when he gets in the pee. It worked just fine, and I knew Kerttu was tough to get up. There was no division on Kertu today, but I am quite happy with my own bet until the danger. There should be a little more of his own bet on the danger improved," Matintalo repeated the race.

Third place went to Anne Kyllönen , who was in fifth place before the chase. One minute and 19 seconds for Kyllönen, who lost to the winner, was easy.

"Yesterday went really well. A few seconds left exhausted from the podium seat, it was a little annoying. The run was ok, but I would have liked better. The chase then had good energy until the end, it felt easy to go all the way to danger, so I'm happy with the whole thing," Kyllönen summed up.

Iivo Niskanen already won the 7th race in Vuokatti's Aateli Race

The two-day competition event of Vuokatti Ski Week was on display by Iivo Niskanen . The winner of the prologue and cross-country race went into pursuit 48 seconds ahead of the pursuers. Niskanen was satisfied with the course of the competition.

"It was a tough race. When you go skiing after a run, you can feel it on your feet. However, I eagerly set off, although there was no greater worry about it. The wind and heat made the travel strain already start to weigh, although not particularly squeezing. I try to do smooth and intact skiing," Niskanen says.

There was a tougher battle for other podium rankings. Perttu Hyvärinen , Markus Vuorela and Remi Lindholm skied the danger of Vuokatti one distance up, and in the final straight Hyvärinen managed to lift himself to the silver.

"The prologue was a basic bet and the morning run was pretty sticky. The chase was set in battle and, surprisingly late, I made a decision regarding the second-place battle. Quite a basic bet," Hyvärinen says.

Markus Vuorela himself fought for the third place .

"Good race, the prologue was a bit difficult, there was too much difference. The run has always been strong, pretty good to do. Iivo still got away with it, we will try to catch him the following year. In skiing, it was known that there would be strong opposition from Puijo ski club, when Petteri Koivisto and Perttu Hyvärinen were leaving at the same time, I thought it was not worth pulling for them. Petteri then dropped out of it, and I started to cramp my foot on the ascent, but with all due honor," Vuorela summed up his race team.

Stay up to date and follow FIS Cross-Country on Social Media:

InstagramFacebookxYoutubeTikTok