We are feverishly looking for a solution to the despair of hill jumping and combined in Vuokatti. Sport director Mika Kojonkoski says that he is in the same boat as the others: the work at the Ski Federation is coming to an end.
The financial situation of Finnish ski jumping and combined was revealed to be more catastrophic than expected on Monday, when Urheilu reported on the message sent by the Ski Association to coaches, other staff and athletes.
It said that in the upcoming training season there probably won’t be any resources, i.e. money, for any kind of national team-led training activities. There is no extension to the fixed-term employment contracts of sports coaches and other employees. The news was a big shock in sports circles, and for example Ilkka Herola didn’t mince his words.
The vice president of the union Lauri Kettusen in the text drafted, coaches and athletes were urged to act quickly to ensure their livelihood and operating conditions.
Historical losses
In the background of everything is the Ski Association’s dismal fiscal year 2022–2023, which culminated in historic losses of almost two million euros at the group level. The board, which was reformed in March, was the first to react to the situation of ski jumping and combined. There will also be tears and gnashing of teeth for cross-country skiing, even though its relative situation is the best of the Ski Association’s sports in every way.
The message written by vice-president Kettunen was also signed by the director of ski jumping and combined sports Mika Kojonkoski. Mäkihypy’s former head coach started his job in 2022. Since the union’s policy means that there will be no ski jumping coaches in the ranks in the 2024 training season, could sport director Kojonkoski, one of the most meritorious hill coaches of all time, take care of the matter?
– The situation is that I am also in the Ski Federation with a fixed-term contract. The employment contract remains until the end of this week, and there is no further information after that. If it is possible to build a package with something to manage, the situation can change. Last training season I took part in a lot of practical hill training, commented Kojonkoski, reached from Vuokatti in Sotkamo.
He participates in the spring competition of ski jumping and combined sports, where the Skiing Federation is trying to desperately find a solution to the coaching limbo of its sports, mainly with the help of the Olympic Committee’s elite sports unit.
– The goal is to ensure professional coaching for our priority locations, i.e. Lahti and Kuopio. Hill jumping is a special case in that the athlete cannot just independently carry out a training program, as in many other sports. It’s a very coach-led activity.
Kojonkoski said that he understood the solution that the union reached.
– When the reformed board got to know the overall situation, and the numbers looked so alarming, they ended up giving out such a strong signal that national team activities may not be available at all. The big picture that led to this situation is of course the sum of many things.
Employment contract for two
At this point, the ski jumping national team coach will remain in the ski association Kimmo Savolainen, who has a temporary employment contract. Similar is the combined physiotherapist-physical trainer Jari Hiekkavirta. According to Kojonkoski, this, especially Savolainen, saves part of the summer training.
– In Vuokatti, I will present different models that could be used to manage coaching. I am convinced that a solution will be found and we will be able to tell you about it within a couple of weeks, says Kojonkoski.
The Olympic Committee’s elite sports unit has promised to come and help the sports team. Kojonkoski also doesn’t rule out the vision, in which now the unemployed from the Ski Association would coach athletes on a purchase service basis.
Last competition season’s Finnish delights in the hill-combined sport group were in the combined Eero Hirvonen a return to the top of the world, young Minja Korhonen climb to the very top of the combined and ski jump Jenny Rautionahon excellent season.