In the men's 20-kilometer event at the Kontiolahti World Cup, Tero Seppälä struggled to maintain his position and finished in 15th place. Although he made two perfect shots and missed one on two occasions, he described his shooting as successful, emphasizing the difficulties he faced while skiing. He noted that the icy conditions made it hard to keep his balance, impacting his performance during the race.

On a more positive note, Finnish biathlete Tuomas Harjula surprisingly emerged as the best performer from Finland, securing 11th place with only one missed shot in the competition. Harjula was praised for maintaining a strong skiing pace and shared his excitement during an interview with Yle, urging that it was a fantastic race.

Kaisa Mäkäräinen, a prominent expert on Yle, expressed her admiration for Harjula's performance, calling it extraordinary. Harjula's success has provided him with a significant boost heading into upcoming competitions, as he reflected that while it may not be his career-best finish, it was close enough and felt great to compete in the race under challenging circumstances.