Joensuu is not concerned about the results of the roller skiing races in Norway, which were modest, as she approached them solely as good training opportunities. She became familiar with the World Championships courses, even on roller skis.

“The training season is still far from over, so I’m not panicking about those results. I feel confident, and I’ve been in good form compared to previous years,” Joensuu said to Maastohiihto.com.

Joensuu also mentioned that she gained valuable insights for improvement.

“As a team, we are somewhat hesitant when it comes to downhill skiing. Especially on roller skis, when we were in a large group, it was even a bit scary, but I managed well, and my confidence grew with each race. Each race had its positives, and we also got to see what the level of competition at the top really is.”

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Although there was an opportunity to train at the upcoming winter’s World Championships venue, only Joensuu and Hilla Niemelä from Finland were present.

“To be honest, it was disappointing. At our best, we’ve had eight women at the camps, all working together. It’s always great to train as a group, and I wish everyone had the same mindset.”

“The most important thing, however, is to focus on the things you can control.”

The Finnish coaches arranged for Joensuu and Niemelä to have good joint training sessions, including with the French female skiers.

“It was great to see how things are done elsewhere and gain new perspectives. I have to give the coaches a lot of credit for setting up good sparring opportunities for us, even though we were a small group.”

According to Joensuu, the modest success of the Finns in the roller skiing races can be explained by the Finnish roller skiing culture, which differs significantly from the models in Norway and Sweden. While Norway and Sweden hold several major competitions during the summer, attended by many of the country’s top athletes, Finland does not have a similar culture.

“The results showed that we Finns didn’t have much to celebrate there. In my view, group skiing doesn’t develop through anything other than group skiing. Although it doesn’t make sense to race all the time in the summer, such individual race weeks add a lot of quality to the training.”

Setting High Goals for the World Championships

At next winter’s World Championships, Joensuu’s main focus will be on the sprint, team sprint, and relay. She has set her goals high.

“I believe that my abilities are reaching a level where I can talk about really strong results. Of course, many small things need to fall into place on the day, but you have to set high goals to succeed.”

Joensuu might be considered a somewhat unusual Finnish athlete, as she is not afraid to speak openly about her ambitious goals.

“Some might think that it creates pressure, but I feel that by stating my goals out loud, it ensures that my daily actions align with the level they need to be.”

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