Finland’s skiing legends have brought success and honour, representing the blue and white colours in major competitions. Finland is known as a cross-country skiing powerhouse, and Finnish skiing has seen ups and downs over the years, but skiing remains popular among both fans and enthusiasts. Many of our skiing heroes have been role models for young athletes, paving the way for new successes, and skiing has been part of our national identity since the early 20th century.
This article lists some of the great names in skiing post-war, starting with Veikko Hakulinen and ending with today’s top names. The article was published last week in two parts and is now presented as a single piece.
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Veikko Hakulinen
Veikko Hakulinen was a Finnish skiing legend who achieved many significant victories during his career. He won a total of seven Olympic medals: three gold, three silver, and one bronze. Hakulinen also has six World Championship medals, three of which are gold. He represented our country in biathlon World Championships in 1963 and 1965, earning team silver. He also competed in the 1964 Olympics as a biathlete.
Hakulinen was known for his versatility and ability to succeed in both long and short distances. He was a strong and enduring skier who could adapt to various competition conditions and terrains. His determination and tactical intelligence made him one of the best skiers of his time. His legendary 1952 Oslo Olympics 50-kilometer victory time of 3:33:33 is etched in many sports fans’ memories.
Hakulinen died after being run over by a car while on a run in 2003.
Eero Mäntyranta
Eero Mäntyranta is one of the most successful Finnish skiers of all time. He won seven Olympic medals: three gold, two silver, and two bronze. Additionally, he has five World Championship medals, including two gold, two silver, and one bronze. Mäntyranta competed in four Olympics during his career.
Mäntyranta was particularly known for his strong sprinting and ability to accelerate at crucial moments. His competition strategy often involved quick breaks and a powerful final sprint. Mäntyranta was also known for his distinctive style and strong will, making him one of the most respected skiers of his time. He was also named Mr. Seefeld during the 1968 Olympics.
Mäntyranta was the first Finnish athlete to be caught doping, receiving a serious warning from the Finnish Ski Federation. This happened in January 1972 when he was caught using amphetamines during the 30-kilometer Finnish Championships in Vuokatti. The doping test results were revealed later in the spring, and Mäntyranta competed in the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.
Mäntyranta also had naturally high hemoglobin levels, resulting in a high oxygen uptake. The skiing great died from illness in 2013.
Juha Mieto
Juha Mieto is one of the greatest names in Finnish cross-country skiing, and his reputation remains undisputed. He won five Olympic medals during his career: one relay gold, two individual silvers, and two relay bronzes. Mieto also achieved four World Championship medals: one individual silver, one individual bronze, one relay silver, and one relay bronze.
Mieto was known for his strength and skiing technique. His sports career included several thrilling competitions, the most famous being the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics 15-kilometer race, where he missed the gold medal by just 0.01 seconds. Mieto is also remembered for the 1978 Lahti World Championships, where he skied the final 50 kilometres to the sauna.
Mieto’s maximum oxygen uptake was over 7.4 litres per minute, possibly the highest recorded for a skier. Mieto remains a favorite among the people and is known for his positive attitude and humour.
Helena Takalo
Helena Takalo is one of the pioneers of Finnish women’s cross-country skiing. She won five Olympic medals: one gold, three silver, and one bronze. Additionally, she has five World Championship medals, including two gold and three bronze.
Takalo was known for her endurance and ability to maintain a high pace over long distances. She was also a technically skilled skier who mastered traditional skiing techniques. Takalo’s determined training and competitive spirit made her one of the most successful skiers of her time.
In July 2006, Takalo received a 2.5-meter-tall bronze statue in Pyhäsalmi.
Hilkka Riihivuori
Hilkka Riihivuori (née Kuntola) is one of the most successful Finnish female skiers from the 1970s and 1980s. She won four silver Olympic medals, two of which were individual. Additionally, she has six World Championship medals: one gold, three silver, and two bronze.
Riihivuori was known for her consistent and strong performances. She was a particularly strong and versatile skier, succeeding in both individual distances and relay events. Riihivuori was also known for her dedication to sports and determined training.
The Ministry of Education awarded Riihivuori the Pro Urheilu recognition in 2005.
Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi
Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi (née Hämäläinen) is one of the most successful Finnish cross-country skiers of all time. She won a total of seven Olympic medals: three gold and four bronze. Additionally, she has eight World Championship medals, including three gold and the rest silver.
Kirvesniemi was known for her tenacity and endurance. She could maintain a high pace in races, and her competition strategy often involved consistent and strong skiing from start to finish. Kirvesniemi was also known for her modesty outside the tracks and was married to fellow Finnish skiing legend Harri Kirvesniemi during her career.
Kirvesniemi also received the Pro Urheilu award in 2006, and in 2016, the state awarded her a sports pension. She was named Athlete of the Year in 1984 when she won all three individual events at the Sarajevo Olympics.
Harri Kirvesniemi
Harri Kirvesniemi is a skier with a long career during which he achieved many prestigious victories. He has six Olympic bronze medals and is the Finnish athlete with the most Olympic medals without a single gold. Kirvesniemi has eight World Championship medals, including one gold in the 15-kilometer race at the 1989 Lahti World Championships.
Kirvesniemi is one of four World Champions or Olympic winners who have run 5000 meters in under 14 minutes. The other three athletes are Pekka Päivärinta, Pekka Vasala, and Lasse Viren.
Kirvesniemi was known for his technical skill and perseverance as a skier. He was excellent in traditional skiing events and was versatile, succeeding in both individual distances and relay events. Kirvesniemi was still competing at the age of 42 in the Lahti World Championships in 2001, where he, along with his compatriots, was caught doping.
Marjo Matikainen
Marjo Matikainen is one of the great names in Finnish women’s cross-country skiing. She won four Olympic medals during her career: one gold and three bronze. Additionally, she has seven World Championship medals, including three gold.
Matikainen was named Athlete of the Year three times: 1986, 1987, and 1989. After her skiing career, she served as a Member of the European Parliament, a National Coalition Party MP, and a city councilor in Espoo.
Matikainen was known for her strength and determination as a skier, particularly in individual races and relays. Her competitive spirit and tenacity made her a feared opponent. Matikainen was also a technically skilled skier who excelled in both traditional and freestyle techniques. Many skiing enthusiasts still remember Matikainen’s famous exclamation from the 1987 Oberstdorf World Championships: “Havuja, perkele!”
Mika Myllylä
Mika Myllylä is one of Finland’s most successful male skiers and also one of the most tragic. He won a total of 15 major championship medals during his career, including six Olympic medals: one gold, one silver, and four bronze, and nine World Championship medals, including four gold. The 1999 Ramsau World Championships showcased Myllylä’s dominance as he won three events and was second in one.
Myllylä was awarded the Athlete of the Year recognition in 1997 and 1999. After his career, he also competed in cross-country mountain biking and made a comeback to skiing after serving a doping ban. In 2003 and 2004, he won the Finlandia Ski and the 50-kilometer Finnish Championship gold.
Myllylä was known for his powerful and explosive skiing style. He was exceptionally strong in uphill sections and often decided races with his climbing abilities. The skier had a remarkable ability to push himself to the limit, and images of his grueling training in the swamps are still vivid in the minds of Finnish skiing fans. Myllylä was one of the victims of the Lahti World Championships doping scandal and passed away tragically in 2011.
Jari Isometsä
Jari Isometsä was a contemporary of Mika Myllylä and was known as a strong relay skier. During his career, he won seven major championship medals, with only one coming from an individual event (bronze in the pursuit at the 1995 World Championships). He also won 36 individual Finnish Championship medals and four World Cup races.
Isometsä’s coach was Harri Kirvesniemi, who also competed alongside him. Isometsä was involved in the doping scandal at the 2001 World Championships in Lahti, being the first skier to test positive. After serving his ban, he returned to competitive skiing and retired in 2009.
Isometsä was known as a strong competitor in freestyle skiing and had a good finishing sprint. He was a reliable relay skier, particularly effective as the anchor in major championships. Off the track, he was known as a talkative and open person.
Virpi Kuitunen
Virpi Kuitunen (now Sarasvuo) is one of the most successful Finnish female skiers of the 2000s. She won six World Championship gold medals, one silver, and one bronze, along with two Olympic bronzes. In addition to these achievements, she won the overall Cross-Country Skiing World Cup twice.
Kuitunen faced a two-year ban following the 2001 World Championships in Lahti but returned to skiing and achieved great success. She married businessman Jari Sarasvuo in 2010, taking his surname. She was named Finnish Athlete of the Year in 2007 and currently works as a ski expert for Viaplay.
As a skier, Kuitunen was known for her strong sprinting ability and success in classic style races. Her race strategy often involved a strong start and maintaining a fast pace until the finish. Kuitunen was also known for her dedication to training and uncompromising attitude.
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen is one of Finland’s most successful skiers of the 2000s and 2010s. During her career, she won five Olympic medals: two silvers and three bronzes. Additionally, Saarinen earned four World Championship gold medals, one silver, and five bronzes. With 15 major championship medals, she ranks among the most successful Finnish cross-country skiers alongside Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi and Mika Myllylä.
Saarinen also competed in one of the most World Cup events. After her skiing career, she worked for a couple of years as the secretary general of the Salpausselkä Games and has served as a ski expert for YLE.
Saarinen was particularly known for her versatility and ability to excel in both classic and freestyle skiing. She was especially strong as a relay anchor, and her determination and competitive spirit made her one of the top skiers of her time.
Matti Heikkinen
Matti Heikkinen is one of the most successful Finnish male skiers of the 2010s. He won one World Championship gold medal and three bronzes during his career. Although he never placed in the top ten in the Olympics, Heikkinen achieved 15 podium finishes in World Cup events, including four victories.
As a skier, Heikkinen was known for his strong finishing sprint, tactical breakaways, and ability to push himself to the limit. He earned the nickname “Happo” due to his high lactic acid tolerance. Heikkinen was a relentless competitor and dedicated to training, making him a respected and feared opponent. He was also thoughtful and analytical, and he now serves as the director of Finland’s Olympic Committee’s elite sports unit.
Sami Jauhojärvi
Sami Jauhojärvi is one of Finland’s most successful modern male skiers. He won one Olympic gold medal and three World Championship bronzes. Jauhojärvi also won one World Cup event, the 50-kilometer race in Trondheim in 2009, and finished on the World Cup podium six times in total.
Jauhojärvi was named Finnish Athlete of the Year in 2014 alongside Iivo Niskanen after they won the team sprint Olympic gold. Jauhojärvi retired from international competition after the 2017 World Championships in Lahti, where his best individual result was eighth in the 15-kilometer race.
Jauhojärvi is particularly known as a technical master of classic skiing and a strong relay skier. His strengths included uphill sections, where he often made decisive moves. Jauhojärvi was also known for his team spirit and was an important part of Finland’s relay team. He continues to work as a ski expert for Viaplay and is still affectionately referred to by his nickname, “Musti.”
Kerttu Niskanen
Kerttu Niskanen is one of today’s most successful Finnish female skiers. She has won six major championship medals, including three Olympic silvers, one Olympic bronze, and two World Championship bronzes. Niskanen achieved her first individual major championship medal at almost 34 years old.
Niskanen is known for her endurance and ability to perform well in both classic and freestyle skiing, although her greatest successes have come in classic style. Her determined training and ability to handle the demands of competition have made her one of Finland’s best skiers. Niskanen’s skiing career is still ongoing, and with the next World Championships approaching, her medal tally could increase. She is coached by her former skier and husband, Juho Mikkonen, who also works as a ski expert for Viaplay.
Read more: Kerttu Niskanen wins Tour de Ski pursuit race in Davos
Krista Pärmäkoski
Krista Pärmäkoski is another top Finnish skier whose career is still active. She has won 12 major championship medals: five Olympic medals (two silvers and three bronzes) and seven World Championship medals (two silvers and five bronzes).
Pärmäkoski excels in both skiing styles and is known for her strong competitive spirit and ability to increase her pace towards the end of races. She is also known for her perseverance and dedication to her sport. Pärmäkoski is aiming to conclude her career with a World Championship gold medal in the upcoming winter.
Read more: Cross-country star divorces after 10 years
Iivo Niskanen
Iivo Niskanen is one of the most successful Finnish skiers of today and the undisputed star of men’s skiing in Finland. He has won five Olympic medals: three golds, one silver, and one bronze. Additionally, Niskanen has won four World Championship medals: one gold, one silver, and two bronzes.
Niskanen has been named Finnish Athlete of the Year four times, a feat only matched by fellow skier Veikko Hakulinen. His coach is former top skier Olli Ohtonen, and Niskanen is also involved in horse racing.
As a skier, Niskanen is particularly known as a master of classic skiing and a specialist in demanding courses. He has excellent classic technique and a strong competitive spirit, making him a dangerous opponent, especially in classic style events. Niskanen lacks the best finishing sprint in the world, so his strategy, particularly in mass start races, often involves wearing down his competitors with a fast pace during the race. Niskanen is also known for his determined training, colorful personality, and relentless attitude.
Read more: Iivo Niskanen’s impressive financial success in 2023
Finnish cross-country skiers have a long and successful history of winning major championship medals. These skiers share not only their medal counts but also their characteristics, passion for the sport, and strengths as athletes. Each of them has left a lasting mark on the history of Finnish cross-country skiing, and their achievements continue to inspire future generations.
This two-part article omits many other great skiers who have achieved success in major championships, such as Marjut Rolig, Pertti Teurajärvi, Arto Koivisto, Matti Pitkänen, Marjatta Kajosmaa, Kari Härkönen, Kalevi Oikarainen, Kalevi Hämäläinen, Aki Karvonen, Ville Nousiainen, Jari Räsänen, Siiri Rantanen, Mirja Hietamies, Pirjo Muranen (Manninen), Riitta-Liisa Roponen, Pirkko Määttä, and Jaana Savolainen. Skiers before World War II have also not been considered.
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