Finnish skier Johanna Matintalo has recovered from a severe back injury that caused her to withdraw from the final leg of her Olympic race two weeks ago. According to her coach, Reijo Jylhä, Matintalo is ready to compete once again this weekend in the World Cup event in Lahti. Jylhä noted that he observed her skiing recently and confirmed that everything seems to be alright now.

The injury occurred during a highly demanding race at the Olympics, leading to a muscle spasm in her back. Jylhä explained that the level of stress during the competition triggered this response, and this was not the first instance; Matintalo faced a similar situation last year in Trondheim. Fortunately, Jylhä reassured fans that the issue is not severe and she should be fit to compete.

Matintalo opted to rest and recover instead of participating in the World Cup event in Falun last weekend, acknowledging the soreness she experienced while skiing last week. With her now cleared to compete, all eyes will be on her as she takes part in the 10-kilometer classic interval-start race in Lahti, signaling her return to the circuit after a challenging period.