Finnish teams 2018/19 announced

The Finnish Ski Association and head coach Petter Kukkonen have announced the members of the different Finnish teams for the upcoming season.

“We have nominated a compact five man team on the national level”, Kukkonen says. “The aim is to build long-lasting careers for the boys, so that they can be seen in the top of the World Cup for another ten years. This means working hard with the team in the background and of course that training and competition must be enjoyed. A sports career should be a worry-free time in a sense.“

National Team

- Ilkka Herola

- Eero Hirvonen

- Atte Korhonen

- Arttu Mäkiaho

- Leevi Mutru

Eight boys and six girls were named to the junior teams, who will train together at the central ski academy in Vuokatti. Kukkonen is optimistic: "I expect the boys in the youth team to challenge the current national team in 2-4 years, which brings healthy internal competition to Finland and it pushes us all forward."

Youth Team Boys

- Timi Heiskanen

- Waltteri Karhumaa

- Wille Karhumaa

- Atte Kettunen

- Otto Niittykoski

- Jesse Pääkönen

- Perttu Reponen

- Rasmus Ähtävä

Youth Team Girls

- Pinja Koivisto

- Hertta Luoma

- Nonna Laitinen

- Annamaija Oinas

- Elli Seppänen

- Alva Thors

Seven further athletes were shortlisted for a development group operating mainly with athletes on the upper secondary school level in Vuokatti. The training will be intensified with cooperations with other athlete groups, for ecample the ski jumpers of similar age.

Another training group with 18 younger athletes, boys and girls, doing Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined will provide the basis of a new generation to come on the future. The aim of the group is to provide knowledge about the proper way to train from the upper level to the grass-roots of the sport.

“The Mini Camp program is designed around training camps in different regions in which everyone is training according to the same camp program. The idea is to have fun with friends, undergo some versatile training and learn about the desired skills. Campaigning in the different regions is supposed to activate more clubs”, Kukkonen explains.