Last year, she won two gold medals at the national championships, five years after retiring. Now, the biathlon legend is returning to the national team, this time as a coach.

Kaisa Mäkäräinen dominated the World Cup for 15 years before retiring after the 2020 season. Last winter, she made her comeback for the first time in five years, winning two gold medals at the Finnish Biathlon Championships. 

Also Read: Retired in 2020 – now she’s beating the men

Back on the national team

Now, the 43-year-old is making a comeback to the national team, this time on the coaching side. 

Mäkäräinen will be responsible for the junior athletes, alongside Ilkka Jarva. This was announced when the Finnish Federation presented the coaching staff for the 2026/2027 season. 

“I will be the assistant coach to Ilkka. I am essentially coming to a well-set table, and my role will be to ensure that the training sessions run smoothly. I will spend a lot of time on roller skis, training alongside the athletes and providing individual support,” the former biathlon star explained to Finnish public broadcaster YLE.

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Finnish coaching culture

Mäkäräinen hopes to help revitalize the Finnish coaching culture. She believes that coaches generally do not spend enough time with the athletes and are not close enough to them in their daily routines to monitor technique and development. 

“I want to bring in specific experience from the top level of the sport,” says Mäkäräinen.  

The appointment was made on very short notice, just a week before the first national team gathering, where Mäkäräinen participated in part of the program. 

Initially, Mäkäräinen is set to attend three training camps in Vuokatti. However, she hopes that there will be more opportunities in the future. She is currently in the final phase of her coaching education with the International Biathlon Union (IBU). 

“In a way, this coaching position is a bit like an internship in my education,” says Mäkäräinen. 

Norwegian Erik Torneus-Kulstad remains the head coach of the elite national team, alongside Aku Moilanen and Ahti Tovanen. 

Read More: Finnish Biathlon Federation names 2026 A-Team for training season

Impressive track record

During her 15-year active career as a biathlete, Kaisa Mäkäräinen won six individual World Championship medals and participated in three Olympics. She achieved 27 individual victories in the World Cup and won the overall World Cup title three times (2011, 2014, and 2018). 

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