Coached the Finnish women’s cross country team this season Jussi Piirainen says he’s quitting. Piirainen’s season in charge of the team lasted only one season.
– There will be so much traveling and you have to be away from home so much and there are many other things you want to do besides just being at work. Yes, this decision is based only on managing one’s own personal life, Piirainen says in an interview with Urheilu.
The decision was not easy for Piirainen and he thought about it several times during the current season. Piirainen says that he liked the job leading the national team.
– I liked this job. We have started good processes in the team and I believe and hope that they will carry forward. A great coaching team, a great maintenance team, staff around it and above all great athletes, Piirainen praises the team’s atmosphere.
Piirainen returned to the A national team after an eight-year break, as he previously coached the national team in the 2011–2014 seasons. In between, he worked as an expert, and does not consider them impossible in the future either.
Piirainen’s only remaining season came to an end Kerttu My neck to win the overall cup of normal distances.
– It’s a big achievement. Of course, it warms the whole team, but it is especially an achievement for Kertu. These are rare. We don’t have victories in the World Cup too often. A really big achievement, much rarer than competition medals or prize competition wins.
Piirainen considers the past World Cup season to be good, even though Planica’s World Cup did not go as expected.
– Especially Kerttu was consistently good throughout the season and there were many other skiers who raised their level and we got several new skiers to 30 skis.
The idea of the ski association was a longer-term coaching relationship
Head coach of the national team Teemu Pasanen understand Piirainen’s decision, even if he finds it unfortunate. Pasanen said that the division of labor in the coaching group worked well during the season.
– Jussi told me a little while ago that he will no longer continue. It is certainly this Travel that is no longer suitable in this life situation. Of course, this is really hard when you are on a trip for 200–250 days and at worst five weeks straight.
Executive Director of the Ski Association Ismo Hämäläinen said that Piirainen’s decision to quit came as a surprise.
– Kind of a surprise decision, but we knew this a little earlier. Yes, when we started to build this whole a year ago, we thought that these washes would last longer, but now we are adjusting these things a little bit, Hämäläinen analyzed.
– Always big decisions, because the coaching processes are long and Jussi has fit in very well with this whole. Now we start modeling the new era from now on, Hämäläinen said.
Several changes to the national team
According to Hämäläinen and Pasanen, there is a wider examination ahead of what the situation of coaching and maintenance will be in the future.
– Now we have to think about what the next season’s lineup will be in the spring, Pasanen said.
There are several changes planned for the national team, when the maintenance manager Mika Venäläinen already announced that he was leaving his position. The Russian has also worked as Niskaste’s personal ski lubricator.
Iivo Niskanen praised Venäläinen’s expertise after the men’s 20 km race in Salpausselka.
– Excellent work from the maintenance team today as well. Yes, Mika has managed to lead that orchestra on a broad front and has been on the map really well. In these two years, when there have been traditional games, there have not been many days in between.
– We will lose a lot of know-how with Mika, especially with regard to traction lubrication, if he stands behind his decision, Iivo Niskanen emphasized.
The Russian’s finish also made Kerttu Niskanen emotional after the 20-kilometer race.
– I don’t want to give up on Mika quitting. Iivo and I are still trying to talk him around. For Kat (wife) greetings home, don’t be so strict there. Yes, we need him.
– There is no better man to apply creams. I don’t want Mika to stop, Kerttu Niskanen said with a trembling voice.
Also drove the national team’s service truck for eight years Arto Nieminen may leave the national team.
– It’s a line drawn in the water. There have been negotiations and persuasions, especially from the athletes and maintenance men, Nieminen said.
Nieminen has not yet made a completely final decision about his termination. Among other things, national team skiers Eveliina Piippo has stated that Nieminen is not allowed to retire if he cannot be replaced by an equally nice person.