The career of the four-time World Youth Championship medalist has been on hiatus since spring 2022.
One of the biggest ski promises of Finnish women in recent years Anita Korvan the previous competition is from March 2022. At that time, he finished 22nd in the youth championships organized in Kuopio.
Last season, Korva spoke like that Ilta-Sanom than Iltalehten in the interview that he had suffered from depression, which he had overcome with the help of psychotherapy, among other things.
Despite the gap year, Korva was not ready to put an end to his career, but left the door open for a possible return.
– I am thinking that I would go to some smaller competitions to see if anything will come of it, Korva told IS in December 2022.
– To be honest, now I would like most of all to return to the track and to where I was before. It’s just not that simple, he told IL in February 2023.
The return is still delayed. The matter came to light when Urheilu reached out to Korva for an interview.
– Not to be seen, 24-year-old Korva messaged in response to a direct question, whether he will be seen competing in the opening of the Finnish Cup in November or later in the coming season.
Korva was unwilling to answer follow-up questions about whether he has made further decisions regarding competitive skiing. He also did not respond to Urheilu’s interview invitation.
A year’s work to be done for the bottom
Anita Korva came to the attention of the domestic ski crowd in a big way in 2018–2019. At that time, he achieved four individual WC bronze medals in the under-20 category, three of which came in January 2019.
In February 2019, he achieved his first and so far only individual adult SM medal, a bronze, in Imatra. A few weeks later, Korva was 22nd in the individual sprint at the Lahti World Cup. The eight World Cup points from the ranking are also the first and so far the last personal points in Korva’s career in the World Cup.
Piloted the women’s A national team last season Jussi Piirainen says that Korva did not communicate anything about his situation in the direction of national team coaching.
Piirainen feels that if Korva would like to aim for, for example, the next Winter Olympics in February 2026, the conditions for a credible return still exist.
However, Piirainen stresses that the comeback project requires a full training and competition season from Korva. Piirainen, who is returning as Urheilu’s skiing expert for this season, estimates that international results would only be possible after a successful whole season.
– The talent has not disappeared anywhere. Anita is still young enough (24 years old) that she can rise to the top if she wants to. There is still plenty of time to prepare for the Olympics, says Piirainen.