Sunday, January 24, 2010

Finnish Champs, Frozen and Happy Ending:)

Maybe you could even see it? Me smiling wider than Grand Canyon:D

We had Finnish Champs this weekend in Kauhajoki, a small city on the other side of Finland!
On Friday I woke up 6 am to get into the car... and starting the 7-hours-journey! Zeroing starting at 3 pm, so we had hardly any extra time to go^^' Eh, stupid minds.. Better to get there day before, but never mind, we got there early enough and the sprint race was first in the program!:)

I must say that Kontiolahti is too perfect place for training, cause in Kauhajoki the matts were slippery and icy, shooting race full of "wholes" and some extra "stuff" on the tracks was not really good for my skies^^ Anyways, we did zeroing in the daylight, and the sprint race was later in the evening, starting 5.15 pm so that it really was dark, and the lights on the range were really poor. What comes to the weather it was as chilly as it can be on my scale. -16 c degrees and mild wind (getting harder in the evening..^) aren't really my favourites..

The courses were not so difficult so the only "differing" thing between the best girls was just shooting! Well, I shot horrible 3+1 penalties. Compared to Maija who won the race with fast and perfect shooting, I did have really problems with my shooting and specially with my riffle! It didn't want to co-operate with me that day, throwing out my bullets one by one so that my standing took nearly one minut!^/ Pity, cause I lost only 1 minut to the leader although I had 4 penalties more!

Well, Pursuit next day went a "BIT" better. From the place 6 I lightly moved upwards on the list.. shooting 0+0 on prone stages then two misses on the first standing and finally the last shooting zero!!:)) Well, that's how it should be. That's the normal me, and that's what I can!! Well, The sprint winner just ended her one penalty loop(of total 3 in pursuit) when I rushed out from the shooting range. To the final loop together, skiing in the lead and taking the last "sprint" to the finish!:D yeee. 5 seconds ahead. I was happy. My first never ever personal gold medal in senior class!!:)) Last year I got my first junior gold but now it was already senior... step by step I will be going to the top. Hoping to catch the world's bests after a couple of years:)

I had to admit that the race would've been a bit different if our best biathletes would have been there. Top three women are still in World Cup Anterselva so we had only a fight of the "fourth".. who knows how they had managed here in Finland..

So The first and the last Finnish Champs this year!! Olympics are now in February so I have barely any races^^ If you didn't already know so Finland will have only one woman and one man in Vancouver.. Pity, cause Finland has 5+5 places!! And not filling the places, I think it's just stupid. "Money, money, money..." or whatever would be the reason.. (Okey we should be only skiing and shooting better, simple thing^^')

Now I'll fix my school things, do my candidate exams- thing (B-level?) and train for the European Champs, hold in the beginning of March in Estonia!:) I was also planning to compete in IBU-cups in the Alps, but my coach thinks it's wiser to stay at home^^ (dunno why he still thinks I'm getting into troubles abroad or something!?:D)

back to the roots.. back to the books. and the training. Thumbs up for the ladies and gentlemans in Vancouver. So many of them I already know.. amazing!:) Luckily Sochi is only 4 years to go..

"We are the kings and queens of Promise, We are the Phantoms of ourselves, Maybe the children of a lesser god , between heaven and hell..." =good song:)

hugs/ Lara CrAft

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