Perttu Hyvärinen encountered Russians at training camp – injury-hit season taught valuable lessons

Finnish cross-country skier Perttu Hyvärinen returned from a training camp in Ramsau, Austria, in good spirits after repeated setbacks last winter. On arrival, he and the Finnish team were surprised to find Russian athletes staying at the same accommodation, a rare sight after years of Russian absence from international ski circuits. Hyvärinen noted the situation felt unusual after such a long break since they had last met, and observed that the Russians seemed to be training as before. He could not comment on their pace because the Finns were training lower down and did not go onto snow like the Russians.

He emphasized his strong opposition to Russia’s war against Ukraine, while commenting cautiously on sporting bans. The International Ski Federation (FIS) decided last week that Russian cross-country skiers will remain excluded from the World Cup this season, which also rules them out of the Milano–Cortina 2026 Olympics.

Hyvärinen says his Olympic build-up is now progressing normally in Vuokatti after last season’s ankle injury and illness derailed his campaign. He feels he is at the same training level as a year ago before problems began, but stresses that the coming weeks and months are decisive for reaching peak condition for the Games. Despite the broken season, he found positives: more time in spring to visit sponsors, learn about marketing and entrepreneurship, and build useful ‘knowledge capital.’

Ristomatti Hakola, Hyvärinen’s roommate in Ramsau, also endured a string of mishaps last season but recovered in time for the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim, where he won silver in the team sprint alongside Lauri Vuorinen. Hakola says this preseason has gone smoothly—almost worryingly so—but he remains concerned about respiratory infections, which he finds mentally stressful and potentially performance-sapping. He jokes that while everyone can train, rest is harder for an endurance athlete, admitting that taking two consecutive rest days is mentally tough.

The Finnish domestic season opens next weekend in Vuokatti with Suomen Cup races, with Yle broadcasting Saturday’s sprints and Sunday’s freestyle relays.