Miro Karppanen turns to Frida Karlsson–style warm‑weather prep as Finns battle for Olympic spots

One of the most intriguing storylines at the start of the cross‑country season is the fight for Finland’s men’s Olympic places. Of the nation’s seven quotas for Milano–Cortina 2026, two are already filled by Iivo Niskanen and Lauri Vuorinen.

At least ten Finnish men are in contention for the remaining five spots. The sprint in Val di Fiemme will be classic technique—favorable to Finns—but because of limited athlete numbers, Finland may not field the maximum four starters there.

A potential wild card is 27‑year‑old Miro Karppanen, who has never raced at senior championship level. The versatile Imatran Urheilijat skier closed last season strongly: at the Lahti World Cup 50 km mass start he was Finland’s second‑best behind Niskanen (16th overall), and he claimed his first individual national title by winning the Taivalkoski 50 km freestyle, beating World Championships 50 km seventh‑placer Remi Lindholm.

Make‑or‑break season

Karppanen says the coming season could be a watershed for his career. Outside the A‑team, he has been candid about the limited financial viability of skiing. Now approaching 30, he admits the outcome of this winter will influence what he focuses on in life going forward.

Known for strong endurance and a natural finishing kick, Karppanen’s profile suits modern mass‑start racing. Despite his late‑season form, he remains an underdog for an Olympic berth and is not part of the 10‑man A‑team. For skiers like him and Petteri Koivisto, early‑season success is critical. Although summer training went well, he experienced fatigue in early autumn and underperformed in September tests, but believes the base is there.

Key races at Ruka

A month on from the fatigue, Karppanen is aiming to peak for late November. Ruka’s Finnish Cup races will determine World Cup start spots, followed a week later by the World Cup opener. He views the first three World Cup weekends as vital for Olympic selection and plans to tune his form precisely for that window.

Karppanen prefers classic technique, but the World Cup opening block features many freestyle races. He expects that solid freestyle results could still be enough to keep him in the World Cup, while the classic 10 km interval start at Ruka is a prime opportunity for Finns. He anticipates that at least one standout result—potentially a top‑10 internationally—will be required.

Warm‑weather prep inspired by Frida Karlsson

Breaking from the norm for Finnish athletes, Karppanen recently trained in warm conditions in Spain, on Mallorca. He notes Swedish star Frida Karlsson has used similar southern European camps—she prepared on Tenerife last year and then crushed the Ruka opener, beating Therese Johaug by 46 seconds.

“It felt like the right solution now. Training in the warmth did my muscles and nervous system good. Some Swedes and Norwegians have done this before,” Karppanen said.

The Finnish Cup in Vuokatti continues with relays on Sunday (live on Yle TV2 and Areena).