Otto Invenius is one of the names of the future of Finnish biathlon. He is not part of the alliance’s coaching ring, but would like a more national team-driven coaching system.
Finnish biathlon is its iconic bow Kaisa Mäkäräinen after finishing his racing career, accustomed to two years of harsher everyday life with success. While glimpses of a better future have come, success has not led to the winners.
Tero Seppälä has given faith in the men’s series. This season, he has won two fifth places in the World Cup.
Seppälä’s skiing pace and shooting accuracy is enough for his best day high on the leaderboard. Seppälä, a 26-year-old second-generation biathlete, is half his age, but there is potential even in the younger generation.
A 17-year-old at the recent World Cup in the United States Arttu Heikkinen won the World Championships under the age of 19 in the World Championships and the bronze medal in the sprint. In the under-22s series Otto Invenius took silver in the sprint.
In addition to the World Championship success, Otto Invenius, who has won two European Championship silver medals, is ready to invest in the sport in earnest.
– The goal is to get into the Finnish A-national team first and try to succeed there, Invenius says.
That said and the point made. Finland’s head coach who will leave his post after this season Jonne Kähkönen confirmed to STT on Monday that Invenius will make his debut in the Finnish A national team at the Oslo Holmenkollen competitions at the end of the week, which will end the World Cup season.
Learn from Sweden
The situation of Finnish biathlon culminates in Invenius. He is not part of the coaching ring of the Finnish Biathlon Association, but Invenius is coached by the Swedish academy coach of Sotkamo Vuokatti Sports High School. Adam Adamson.
Head coach Kähkönen pondered the end of his coaching session at the Kontiolahti World Cup the second weekend. He would like a more national team-driven coaching system.
Although Invenius appreciates the work of his coach Adams, the promise of biathlon agrees with Kähkönen.
– As Jonne said, the national team lacks a common and common line, Invenius says.
Finland has a tradition of biathlon long before Mäkäräinen’s success days. Invenius, who knows the history of the species, refers to it.
– I very much hope that the whole national team activity will help us young biathletes to the international top. A younger guard could be moved to the top. We would not be average in biathlon, but could be at the level of Norway, France, Sweden and partners.
Seppälä towards a breakthrough
Mutual competition is known to be straining towards the top in any sport. In biathlon, the importance of concentrating training has been talked about in Finland for years, but it has not been properly prepared.
– I don’t think it’s so caught up in the money. Of course, a lot depends on the athletes, but they should be given a good start from which to strive for the top together.
– As much as I’ve watched the Swedes a lot, the national team athletes train there together. They trust what they do. A similar model but to Finland, so that young people could be moved to the top, Invenius suggests.
A promising sign in Finnish terms is that Tero Seppälä’s place in the World Cup at 15–20 now feels like a place among others.
Expectations of success are at least a budding prediction of a better future.
– Tero has developed a lot. I think he has those podium rankings waiting for him, Invenius says.