Juuso Haarala, a competitor in the Finnish Cup free‑sprint event, fell at the start of Saturday’s race after his pole snapped. The pole broke on the start line of the time‑trial elimination race, and Haarala said the warm conditions had caused a hole in the pole, which sank deep. “The weather was so warm that there was a hole in the pole. The pole sank so deep,” he explained. Skiing expert Reijo Jylhä had already warned that pole breaks were likely in the conditions. “There’s nothing we can do – the conditions are what they are,” Haarala added. Representing Pohti Ski Team Pyhäjärvi, Haarala skied about 30 metres without a pole before receiving a replacement. “I tried to stay relaxed after the pole broke and then aimed to improve my position on the second run,” he said. Despite the setback, he advanced to the next round by throwing. He finished only 3.61 seconds behind the fastest time of Valtteri Pennanen (3:20.05) and placed sixth in the elimination round. “It felt pretty good. I thought it would feel worse,” he remarked. The next phase, the prize‑pool round, will begin at 12:00 in Kainuu.