Finnish figure skating is doing well when you look at the number of representation places in the current season’s EC and WC competitions or the rankings in the recently concluded junior WC competitions.
The Figure Skating Association still has a heavy year behind it, tinged with change negotiations. The austerity measures have been strict, and the union did not avoid personnel reductions.
Coaching manager Fairy tale Niittynen according to “every part of the area has had to be tweaked”.
– We have thought carefully about elite sports. Every single allowance, plane ticket and camp day has been taken care of, Niittynen told STT by phone.
Even in a difficult situation, you should manage and maintain your position on international ice.
– We don’t want to weaken the athletes’ situation, but we have had to think about what the euros will be used for.
Towards the top ten
Finland will participate in the World Championships in Canada this week with an exceptionally large team, as ice dance couples will participate Juulia Turkkila–Matthias Versluis and Yuka Orihara–Juho Pirinenpair skaters Milania Väänänen–Filippo Clericiparticipating in men’s singles skating Valtter Virtanen and a participant in women’s single skating Nella Pelkonen.
The biggest expectations for success are aimed at ice dancers.
– For Juulia and Matthias, the expectation is to reach the top ten. That’s the minimum goal. Yuka and Juho are not far away either. They already made a great bet in the EC competitions, Niittynen referred to the tenth place in January.
Turkkila and Versluis achieved EC bronze in Espoo last year, but finished sixth in January in Lithuania.
– They did their best and performed well. Others were even better. There was no major failure, Niittynen said.
Turkkila and Versluis finished ninth in last year’s World Championships, so the project aiming for success in the 2026 Olympics is progressing on schedule.
In the World Cup competitions, Finnish couples have a strict common goal.
– We are trying to preserve two land locations, Niittynen said.
With international spices
Figure skater Virtanen has last participated in the World Championships in 2021.
– If Valtter succeeds in his short program, a place in the final is possible. He has not made it to the free program in the World Championships before, so it is a good goal personally, Niittynen explained the situation of Virtanen, who is going to his fifth World Championships.
Pelkonen collapsed in the free program of his first EC competitions and is also a WC first-timer.
– Nella was ill after the EC competitions. Then he had a lighter phase, during which he missed the Games and carefully prepared for the World Championships.
Niittynen believes that Pelkonen has gotten over the EC disappointment.
– The short program went great there. If you do such a performance, you will be throwing in the finals even in the World Cup competitions, the coaching manager reminded.
The World Cup competitions are also the first for Väänänen and Cleric.
– I even expect to stretch to the final, but that requires success in the short program. The competition is tough, and they are still a very green, fresh couple. It takes time for two individuals to learn to work together. It also took a few years for Juulia and Matthias, for example, to reach the top level.
No more Finlandia Trophy
The Finnish Figure Skating Association will no longer organize the traditional competition next season.
In recent seasons, Finnish figure skaters have been able to perform in front of home audiences at a comfortable pace, when in addition to the traditional Finlandia Trophy and the 2023 EC competitions, the 2022 and 2023 GP competitions of the International Figure Skating Association have also been organized in Finland.
For the Finnish Figure Skating Association, which is facing financial difficulties, organizing big home competitions would seem to be expected, but Outi Wuorenheimo, the former executive director of the association, told STT already last fall that the audience has not been as expected since the corona period. According to him, the problem does not only concern Finland, but has been a problem in many other countries as well.
After a long and careful consideration, the Finnish Figure Skating Association decided that it will not organize the Finlandia Trophy again next season.
– The Finlandia Trophy was founded at the time so that it would reach GP status. Now that this goal (getting a GP competition) has been achieved, Satu Niittynen opened up to STT about the decision to leave the Finlandia Trophy out of the competition calendar.
In the previous two years, the Finlandia Trophy has been organized in Espoo in October and the GP competition in November.
– However, it does not make economic sense to organize two international competition events for the same target audience within a month, Niittynen said.
The patterns for next season are clear.
– We will organize a GP competition in November and the World Championships in formation skating in the spring of 2025, he opened the competition calendar.
shows 21.-24. The World Figure Skating Championships in Canada will be held in March.