Kerttu Niskanen, the Finnish cross-country skier, faced a disappointing performance at the Val di Fiemme competition, where she finished in 29th place, trailing nearly two and a half minutes behind Olympic champion Frida Karlsson. Speaking candidly to the media, Niskanen criticized her ski equipment, stating that they were not competitive, which contributed to her subpar result. She noted that even when comparing herself to a single German competitor, she struggled with her time.