Selections Finnish Cross-Country team 2020/21

The Cross-Country national teams have been named for the period 2020-2021. As last year, the national team will train with a large group and a total of 21 athletes have been nominated for the team. Eleven women have been selected for the team, there are ten men on the team.

"We wanted to continue with last year's model and practice with a large group. It is important to get young people into national team training," says head coach Teemu Pasanen.

The national team's coaching processes are already underway and the athletes' tests will take place in June. However, the national team's joint camp activities will not start until the end of the summer.

"The first plans for the camps have been made. Let's start at the turn of July-August in Vuokatti, where there are also the Finnish Championships in Roller Skiing. There will be the first official gathering. The main focus will be on domestic camps and a high-altitude camp will be held abroad in October," says Pasanen.

Changes have been made in the structures of the young Cross-Country teams and a separate training group has been created for those under 23 years of age. Coaching activities take place in Vuokatti with the Vuokatti-Ruka Olympic Coaching Centre's training group. The group operates on a daily coaching basis, but training is also intensified during camp weeks. The group is led by Glenn Lindholm.

"In the coaches' discussions, there has been a desire to establish a separate training group for U23-age athletes, which will support the journey towards the top of the world and the national team. An adult training group has been operating in Vuokatti for several years, and now the aim was to expand this activity to serve and support U23-aged people in cooperation with the Ski Association," says Lindholm.

Finland's top athletes have also been welcomed as a welcome sparring aid for the group's training.

"National team athletes are always welcome to train with this group. Young athletes get the toughest sparring possible, it’s a great addition," says Lindholm.

The youth national team, the St1 group, will work closely with the Vuokatti-Ruka Olympic Coaching Center. The coach of the group is Juho Halonen, who has been the coach of the U18 groups for the last two years.

"Nice to get to continue with the familiar age groups of the U18 group. The official camping activity starts in the late summer, but the coaching processes start immediately," says Halonen.

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Cross-Country national teams 2020-2021

National team, women (11)
Joensuu Jasmi
Korva Anita
Kyllönen Anne (A)
Kähärä Jasmin
Lylynperä Katri (A)
Matintalo Johanna (A)
Mononen Laura (A)
Niskanen Kerttu (A)
Nissinen Vilma
Piippo Eveliina
Pärmäkoski Krista (A)

Responsibility Coach: Ville Oksanen
Coach: Glenn Lindholm

National team, men (10)
Haarala Juuso
Hakola Ristomatti (A)
Hyvärinen Perttu (A)
Lepistö Lauri
Mikkonen Juho
Mäki Joni (A)
Niskanen Iivo (A)
Suhonen Verneri (A)
Vuorela Markus
Vuorinen Lauri ( A)

Responsible
coach : Teemu Pasanen Coach: Mikko Virtanen

U23 group, women (4 + 1)
Böök Josefina
Lämsä Emmi
Olkkonen Tiia
Ray Hanna
Alakoski Anni

U23 group, men (5 + 1) H Attack
Oskari
Lindholm Remi
Mannila Lauri
Parantainen Kalle
Poikonen Verneri
Parttimaa Aleksi

Anni Alakoski and Aleksi Parttimaa can no longer fit into the series of under-23s due to their age, but the coaching has wanted to bring them into the U23 training group.

Coach: Glenn Lindholm

Youth national team, St1 group, women (5)
Haapala Ida
Kaijansinkko Siiri
Leinamo Sonja
Raunio Tuuli
Ryytty Vilma

Youth national team, St1 group, men (7)
Helander Eemil
Hyvönen Matias
Liekari Emil
Moilanen Niilo Pyeetkö
Veeti
Stenman Tino
Ståhlberg Alexander

Coach: Juho Halonen