Jasmi Joensuu, 29, wants an Olympic medal and may retire afterward — dreams of starting a family

Finnish cross-country skier Jasmi Joensuu, 29, says her career could end surprisingly soon. After silencing doubters by winning the women’s World Cup sprint overall last season, her next big target is an Olympic medal in the Val di Fiemme sprint on 10 February — which could also be her last Games.

In a Sportliv interview, Joensuu recounts a turning point: many in Finland believed she would never make it, calling her a lost talent. She resolved to prove them wrong. Just hours before the interview, she set new personal bests in a treadmill rollerski test, keeping motivation high by taping a photo of Swedish sprint star Jonna Sundling on the test-room wall at Lapland Sports Institute. “If I want to win, I need to be able to beat her too,” she says.

The road to the top wasn’t straightforward. At 18, Joensuu accepted a scholarship to the University of Denver, combining academics and sport. The move drew heavy criticism in Finland, but she says the U.S. system gave her resources she lacked at home: dedicated coaches, nutrition, mental training, and physiotherapy — plus the space to develop out of the spotlight. She graduated with a degree in finance and a minor in marketing, giving her security for life after sport.

Mental strength has been central. Ahead of her breakthrough, she added mental coach Alice Vidjeskog to her team, helping her access underused capacities — especially valuable in sprint racing.

The 2024–25 season changed everything: Joensuu earned her first World Cup podium (2nd in the Toblach sprint at the Tour de Ski) and, through consistent results, won the World Cup women’s sprint crystal globe — only the second Finnish woman to do so after Virpi Kuitunen (Sarasvuo) in 2006–07. Coming into the season, her goal had been a top-10 or top-6 overall, far above her previous best of 14th.

Off the tracks, Joensuu balances life in Rovaniemi, Helsinki and Geneva, where she now lives part-time with her partner, ice hockey pro Markus Granlund (Genève-Servette). Training around Annecy and La Clusaz suits her preparation and logistics for the Central European race circuit. She says skiing helped her through the end of a previous relationship during the Tour de Ski, providing focus and confidence.

Looking ahead, Joensuu dreams of combining her finance/marketing skills with sport and, eventually, starting a family — one of her biggest life goals. For now, she remains fully focused on this season and the Olympic sprint in Val di Fiemme: “Let’s take this season first and then see where we are.”