November 16, 2014 (Olos, Finland) – Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk and Finland’s Ari Luusua have won the classic sprint competitions in Olos, Finland on day one of the three-day competition. Kowalczyk was the day’s fastest qualifier and she proved that she was the best all day winning the women’s sprint final over Anne Kylloenen (FIN) in second and Leena Nurmi (FIN) in third.

ustyna Kowalczyk (POL) © Nordic Focus

In the men’s sprint final, Finnish skiers thrilled the home crowd taking first through fourth place. Ari Luusua was the Day 1 winner with Matias Strandvall in second and Lauri Vuorinen in third.

Due to cold temperatures a number of athletes withdrew after the qualification round including Krista Parmakoski (FIN) who placed second in the women’s qualifier, and Martti Jylhae (FIN) on the men’s side.

The three-day competition features 5/10 km CL races on Day 2, followed by 10/15 km Free technique races on Sunday the final day.

Day 2 – 5/10 km CL races

Poland’s Kowalczyk was on top of the podium for the second time in two days.  After winning yesterday’s sprint competition she handily won today’s 5km classic by +21.8 seconds over Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen. Just behind in third place was another Finn Krista Parmakoski (formerly Lahteenmaki) just +2.3 seconds behind Niskanen.

Poltoranin (Kaz) © Nordic Focus

In the men’s competition Kazakhstan’s Alexey Poltoranin won the 10 km classic by just over 8 seconds ahead of Finland’s Iivo Niskanen in second followed by another Finn Ville Nousiainen in third at +10.5 behind the winner.

The competitions wrap up on Sunday with 10/15 km FR technique events.

Results

Day 1

Women’s Sprint CL Final

1. KOWALCZYK Justyna POL
2. KYLLOENEN Anne FIN
3. NURMI Leena FIN
4. MONONEN Laura FIN
5. THEODORSEN Silje NOR
6. JASKOWIEC Sylwia POL

7. GRUNDVALL Maria FIN
8. KAMINSKAYA Valiantsina BLR
9. SJOELUND Emma FIN
10. RANTALA Tiia FIN
11. PORMEISTER Piret EST
12. KOLOMINA Yelena KAZ
13. NEKRASOVA Polina RUS
14. JULIN Andrea FIN
15. OJASTE Triin EST
16. VARJUS Hanna FIN
17. PELTTARI Elisa FIN
18. JOENSUU Jasmi FIN
19. MIKHAILOVA Olga RUS
20. MAEKINEN Anne FIN
21. STOROZHILOVA Daria RUS
22. TAMMJARV Kati EST
23. JASHINA Olga RUS
24. TARVONEN Silja FIN
25. AIRAKSINEN Elsa FIN
26. SHEVCHENKO Anna KAZ
27. LANCHAKOVA Viktoriya KAZ
28. PARMAKOSKI Krista FIN
29. NIIRANEN Krista FIN
30. HEISKANEN Heli FIN

Men’s Sprint CL Final

1. LUUSUA Ari FIN
2. STRANDVALL Matias FIN
3. VUORINEN Lauri FIN
4. KETELAE Toni FIN
5. MIYAZAWA Hiroyuki JPN
6. RANKEL Raido EST

7. VORANAU Aliaksandr BLR
8. SAETRE Erlend Skippervik NOR
9. CHEBOTKO Nikolay KAZ
10. MALYSHEV Alexandr KAZ
11. HIIDENSALO Olli FIN
12. KUMMEL Peeter EST
13. KILP Marko EST
14. BOLOTOV Nikolay RUS
15. HAEKAEMIES Antti FIN
16. POLTORANIN Alexey KAZ
17. TAMMJARV Karel EST
18. KASHIWABARA Nobuhito JPN
19. FROLOV Vladimir RUS
20. MAKI-HEIKKILA Rikhard FIN
21. SELLIS Siim EST
22. SAARELA Ville-Petteri FIN
23. MIKKOLAINEN Juha-Matti FIN
24. SJOLUND Oskar FIN
25. HAKOLA Ristomatti FIN
26. LEPISTO Lauri FIN
27. JYLHAE Martti FIN
28. MAKI Joni FIN
29. LASSILA Kalle FIN
30. LAVRENTEV Anton RUS

Day 2 

Women’s 5km Classic

1. KOWALCZYK Justyna POL 12:49.7
2. NISKANEN Kerttu FIN  +0:21.8
3. PARMAKOSKI Krista FIN +0:24.1
4. MALVALEHTO Mona-Lisa FIN +0:30.1
5. ISHIDA Masako JPN +0:33.3
6. MONONEN Laura FIN +0:39.0
7. KYLLOENEN Anne FIN +0:40.6
8. SARASOJA-LILJA Riikka FIN +0:47.7
9. THEODORSEN Silje NOR +0:55.8
10. HAKALA Maija FIN +0:57.8

Complete ladies’ results  HERE.

Men’s 10km Classic Results

1. POLTORANIN Alexey KAZ 23:25,8
2. NISKANEN Iivo FIN +0:08.1
3. NOUSIAINEN Ville FIN +0:10.5
4. CHERVOTKIN Alexey RUS +0:14.6
5. LEHTONEN Lari FIN +0:21.1
6. YOSHIDA Keishin JPN +0:31.9
7. KOROLEV Vadim RUS +0:36.1
8. JAUHOJAERVI Sami FIN +0:40.6
9. HAKOLA Ristomatti FIN +0:43.0
10. CHEBOTKO Nikolay KAZ  +0:47.9

Complete men’s results HERE.