Krista Pärmäkoski, a renowned Finnish cross-country skier, encountered significant difficulties in her race at Val di Fiemme before it even began, primarily due to a miscalculation in her skiing equipment. She requested more grip for her skis which led to a performance that was, according to her, sticky rather than fluid. After the traditional segment of the race, she found herself in 27th place, trailing by over two minutes from the leaders. Pärmäkoski acknowledged that this equipment choice hindered her performance, particularly in the downhill sections, making it challenging to keep pace with the frontrunners.

During the freestyle portion, Pärmäkoski managed to improve her position by seven spots, but still found herself over four minutes behind the leaders. Although she felt better in the latter part of the race, the gap created by her earlier decisions proved insurmountable. She expressed a proactive approach to the freestyle segment, aiming to push herself harder despite the difficulties faced. Unfortunately, her final placement of 20th was disappointing for someone of her caliber, raising concerns about her future performances and the decisions she makes leading up to critical races.

Overall, this race highlighted the fierce competition in cross-country skiing and how critical equipment choices can greatly impact an athlete's performance. As someone with an established reputation, Pärmäkoski is likely to reflect on this experience to make adjustments for future competitions, as maintaining top-tier form is essential in such a highly competitive field.