Unusual Finnish selection dilemma in cross-country skiing — Perttu Hyvärinen’s decision underlines a ruthless Olympic fight

Finland announced its World Cup team for Trondheim without two A‑team skiers: Remi Lindholm and Perttu Hyvärinen. Lindholm, who has struggled with stress fractures and placed 49th in Ruka’s 20 km free, admitted his Olympic hopes may be in jeopardy. Hyvärinen’s 2023–24 season was hindered by an ankle injury and illness, and his early‑season results have been modest: 17th in a 20 km free at the Finnish Cup, 25th in Ruka’s 10 km classic, and 36th in the 20 km free.

Hyvärinen says he is relieved that skiing is trending the right way, but he agrees with coaches that he is not yet in World Cup‑level shape. He and the staff decided that Trondheim—where the schedule leaves little room for targeted training—is not the place to build form. Instead, he aims to return for Davos and then the Tour de Ski, once he can perform at full capacity. For now, he needs a block of polarized training—some hard sessions and quality recovery—to unlock race speed.

Head coach Teemu Pasanen confirms the plan, noting Hyvärinen’s form is improving but needs further tuning. Finland’s men have only seven Olympic quota places, intensifying competition. Two men, Lauri Vuorinen and Iivo Niskanen, are already selected for Milan–Cortina 2026, while three women—Jasmi Joensuu, Kerttu Niskanen, and Krista Pärmäkoski—are in. Among the men, Joni Mäki, Ristomatti Hakola, Hyvärinen, Niko Anttola, Niilo Moilanen, Emil Liekari, Arsi Ruuskanen, Remi Lindholm, and Ville Ahonen are among those in contention.

Pasanen criticizes the small Olympic quotas that can keep strong nations from fielding their best athletes, but stresses Hyvärinen is not out of contention; the current decision is meant to help him deliver convincing results later. Hyvärinen also prefers to avoid weak results that would hurt his case. According to Pasanen, the unusually fierce internal fight on the men’s side has not harmed team atmosphere—if anything, it raises the level. On the women’s side, depth drops after the A‑team, so the selection debate is less intense, though Vilma Nissinen forced her way onto the Trondheim start list from outside the A‑team.

The World Cup in Trondheim runs 5–7 December with classic sprints Friday, skiathlon Saturday, and 10 km interval‑start free on Sunday, live on Yle.