It's one day left to Jukola, and we made a short interview with the coach, Pascal Vieser.Last year you won Tiomila, but did not have the same success in Jukola? Is Jukola more important than Tiomila this year?
Well, Jukola was already important last year but we did not manage to show our best performances. The Jukola race is normally quite tight and everyone has to perform on a high level in order to be at the top. I`m very confident that we manage it this year!
What preparations have you made to ensure success in Jukola?
After Tiomila, our main focus was the testrace for NOC. We had an extra camp in Oslo to prepare those races. That means, our focus the last weeks was more on the individual goals. The runners which were selected for NOC are focusing of course for those races, and switch right after the last NOM race to the Jukola-mode. The other runners in the team can now focus on Jukola by map-studying and preparing their leg. The final preparation, both technically and mental will be on the camp the days before Jukola in Finland.
Do you feel less pressure ahead of Jukola, since you’ve already won Tiomila this year?
I don`t feel pressure at the moment, as I`m sure if we manage to do our own race, we will be able to fight for the podium. Of course I will get nervous before the race, but right now I'm looking forward with a big portion of confidence and joy!
Some runners who won tiomila will be relegated to the second team, and though decisions have to be made. How does this affect the relations in the group?
Making selection is always a hard job, especially with so many good runners fighting for the 7 spots in the first team. I know that some runners will be disappointed but I expect that everyone will respect the selection. To run in the second team is also a great challenge, and a very good window for showing a good performance, and then getting closer to the firstteam next time.
Why will KOK win Jukola this year?
We have an extremely strong team and if we manage to do our own race, focusing on ourself and fight hard all the way – Then we will be at the top in the finish!
What is your best result in Jukola, as a runner?
My best result was 2000 with my swiss club OLC Kapreolo. We ended up on place 58 which was very very good for our team with no stars. I ran the 4th leg with 41 best time on my leg. Glory days ;-)
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