Niskanen

04May 2021 by The Daily Skier Editorial

Olli Ohtonen, Iivo Niskanen’s Coach, On Modern Training Methods Of Top Athletes

One of the most fascinating aspects of cross-country skiing as a pro-sport is how fast and how radically the technique changes. What was considered ideal barely ten years ago ( insert your favorite skier's name here) - is decidedly old-school today. That's largeky because world's top scientists got involved and, with countless measurements, research & fine-tuning , effort to help athletes to shave off yet another second in competition. The Daily Skier went to Vuokatti, Finland, to talk to one of the best known " wizards of better technique". Meet Olli Ohtonen, Iivo Niskanen's coach. A world-class skier himself, Ohtonen competed at the World Championships and at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, then received PhD in Sports Science at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland's prime sport research facility. Subject? "Requirements…

01Feb 2021 by DS News Team

Finnish Wonderland Gears Up For World Juniors/ U23

Leaders, Newsfeed

The FIS Nordic Junior and U23 World Ski Championships was a bit of an orphant this tough year - but, as in any good fairytale, it looks like it found a perfect home at last. " Vuokatti is the place where the JWC will hit the road running" smiles Vuokatti Sport spokesman Topi Kuorelahti, himself a national-level skier. And indeed it impresses pretty much on the first sight, whichever is your personal preference. [caption id="attachment_17687" align="alignnone" width="1689"] Vuokatti ski trails should more properly be called " ski highways"[/caption] 150 kilometers of wide perfectly groomed, carefully maintained ski trails you could access from your hotel or rental house? Check. Including those modern crazy-tough and thus FIS homologated where the actual races of the Championships shall be held. Speaking of hotels: 650…

18Nov 2019 by DS News Team

Equipment Update: What We Saw At First International Race Of Season

Gear News, Newsfeed

For years now Olos/Muonio has had a reputation of being the first true international meet-up of the new competition season. The results may or may not reflect the actual strength of a particular athlete,depending on her/ his strategy. But what is constant, is the fact that we all get to see athletes who changed their gear supplier in the summer to podium walk their new wares for the first time. [caption id="attachment_13666" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Biggest news, of course, is Iivo Niskanen switching from Rossignol to Fischer. It is becoming exceedingly rare in our days to see a skier of his caliber & titles to do the swap. Yet a double Olympic and a world champion has taken that plunge...[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13661" align="alignnone" width="1920"] It would appear that the Austrian skis…

24Oct 2019 by DS News Team

1100 Hours Man Iivo Niskanen

Leaders, Newsfeed

1100 hours in preparation for the season 2019/2020! That's how many hours of training Iivo Niskanen bagged, according to Iltalehti newspaper . No wonder the Finnish Red Bull looked so tired the last time our camera lense caught him -that was at the Blink Skifest in August. Even some teammates , according to Iltalehti, call that amount " masochistic ". Martin Sundby had reportedly done even more, around 1200 hours training a couple of seasons ago - be he has gone down to under 1000 hours recently, by his own admission.

05Sep 2018 by DS News Team

Gambling And Skiing: Immoral Combo Or Great Source Of Income?

Money & Finance, Newsfeed

There are not many controvercies in the international cross country skiing – the debate storms that rock, say, NFL thanks to Colin Kaepernick kneeling, are virtually unheard of. But things might be changing in some respect. Charlotte Kalla made headlines this spring when she went public with her dislike for gambling. A triple Olympic champion went on record to say that "There is such a level of abuse - and the gambling companies, they must take their share of responsibility for that." A 31 year old pointed out that her own psychologist Thomas Nilsson's works with gambling addicted clients and listening to him convinced her even further. "His profession has influenced my attitude and knowledge about it. Just as with other dependencies, so many people are affected" Kalla, who is one…

Tag: Niskanen