A driving force and values, this Iivo Niskanen, the Finnish gold medalist in the 15 km in cross-country skiing (classic style). Freshly crowned this Friday morning, Niskanen, 30, returned specially to the finish area to welcome the Colombian competitor, who crossed the line in last position, 18 minutes after him.
Carlo Andres Quintana finished in pain but he made it a point of honor to complete the course anonymously, despite the great delay accumulated compared to the stars of the discipline. What was his surprise, when crossing the finish line, he discovered that the very fresh Olympic champion Iivo Niskanen was there to welcome him.
A nice gesture, well in the Olympic spirit, that of the Finn who achieved a time of almost 18 minutes (17′47′’1 precisely) lower than the South American, almost half as fast on his skis. Niskanen nevertheless wanted to applaud Quintana’s courage, before giving him a brief hug and letting him come to his senses. Quintana, who resides in Andorra to be able to train, had already finished 88th in the free sprint on Tuesday 8 February.
Hugo Lapalus 7e
For the rest, the third cross-country skiing event crowned a third winner in the person of Niskanen, already a bronze medalist in the skiathlon on Tuesday 8 February. A classic specialist, Niskanen won the 50 km in this style in Pyeongchang in 2018. This Friday’s Olympic title is his third – he had also been crowned with Finland in the team sprint in 2014. It is also the third medal brother and sister Niskanen during these Games. Kerttu Niskanen, the 33-year-old cross-country skier, won silver in the 10k.
On the French side, classic specialist Hugo Lapalus took 7th place, 1′14′ from Niskanen. A good sign for the relay Sunday February 13, started with the classic. Especially since Maurice Manificat, struggling in the skiathlon (23rd), picked up the colors with a 12th place, just under two minutes.
