Perttu Hyvärinen is one of the strongest pillars of Finnish men’s cross-country skiing. His skiing career has been long, with success in World Championships and the Olympics, culminating in last winter’s World Championship silver medal in the relay. The beginning of last season’s World Cup was a bit challenging, but by the end, Perttu was already skiing close to the podium in Falun. The coveted top-3 finish still eludes him, and he aims to achieve it next winter.

In an interview with Maastohiihto.com, Perttu sounded quite cheerful during a phone interview from Ramsau. The reason for his upbeat mood became clear right away. Perttu has been healthy throughout the training season, and his summer training has been carefully planned and successful. There haven’t been any setbacks this time, no overtraining, and his form is better than it has been in the previous two years at this time.

“It’s been great training here in Ramsau, with the summer weather. I prefer training in warm and good conditions rather than dealing with poor snow up in the mountains. We haven’t had to open the ski track on the glacier at all this autumn. We’ve done one intensity session, and otherwise, we’ve been roller skiing on the basic routes. Tomorrow, we’ll do a harder oxygen uptake training session on the rollerski track,” Perttu said, sharing his updates from Ramsau, and then he continued to talk about his summer work:

“Just regular everyday life, and the summer went really well without any drama. However, our profession is such that as long as you’re in good shape in January, February, and March, the rest of the time, you can be as relaxed as can be. It doesn’t matter how fast you ski or how the running tests go at this point because they don’t bring in prize money or World Cup points. The conditions are there, though, for me to ski well next winter.”

A more relaxed approach to skiing

Perttu hasn’t kept a training diary for 11 years, but he estimates his annual training hours to be around a thousand. He’s more interested in results than recording training volumes in a diary. You can read more about Perttu’s training in the next article, as this story delves deeper into the skier’s mindset and future prospects.

“I want to enjoy sports and everything it brings. I’ve had a more relaxed approach to sports lately, and surprisingly, the results last winter were better when I stopped squeezing the ski pole so tightly,” Perttu analyzed his attitude towards his profession and life in general.

When reflecting on life, the 32-year-old athlete looked back to his past and pondered the question of what today’s Perttu is like compared to the young skier he once was.

“Maybe I’m now able to enjoy sports the same way I did as a junior. After that, it became a bit more of a chore when the results didn’t come as expected. It’s much more enjoyable to engage in sports now than it was between the ages of 22 and 26. I truly enjoy sports much more now, and I can see all the wonderful aspects it entails. I still have a strong motivation for success, and that’s why I continue to compete. Of course, sports and physical activity are also enjoyable parts of my lifestyle, but pure success is what interests me.”

Life is more than just sports

The hunger for success is Perttu’s driving force, but he no longer pushes himself as hard in the sports arena and allows a more relaxed attitude than when he was younger. In his free time, Perttu focuses on activities outside of sports, such as planning advertising photoshoots, working on his farm, meeting people, following sports in his home region of Savo, and expanding his network. It’s essential for him to stay connected to the world and news outside of skiing, but his dreams remain strong.

“After the pandemic, I’ve been following Savonian sports even more closely in person. And there’s always a variety of work to do on the farm at home, and it’s essential to enjoy life as well. Sports have never been my whole life, and I have many interests. Even though I’m getting older, I have the mentality of a young man. I’m still passionate about dreaming and aspiring to achieve new goals. It would be nice to explore the world beyond sports in the future and experience what it’s like to be a regular person without sports. It would also be fun to try that.”

When contemplating the future and the length of his career, Perttu mentioned that he takes it one season at a time. The upcoming three-year cycle of major championships may seem like a long time at this point, but everything depends on how well he performs in the coming years.

“We’re moving forward with performance goals in mind, taking it one year at a time. You can’t deny that there are some fantastic championship winters ahead. I can’t say if they’re meant for me, but they’re coming for someone. Those upcoming championship venues are fantastic destinations.”

As the years go by, Perttu always takes time for self-analysis in the spring, focusing on his strengths and working on improving his weaknesses. One of his weaknesses has been flat terrain skiing and efficient double poling on these sections. He mentioned that this aspect was addressed in his training with his coach during the past summer.

The athlete, who is studying forest science at the University of Eastern Finland, admitted that if there’s no progress, he might hang up his skis and pursue something else that is developmentally fulfilling. Continuing his education is an absolute step in his life. However, sports are not his entire life, and he has plans in other areas as well.

“We’ll see what I come up with in the future. When skiing in the Formula One circuit ends, it might be possible to switch to Ski Classics,” Perttu cryptically stated.

It remains to be seen if Perttu will participate in long-distance skiing events towards the end of his career or if he will have the energy to push through three championship seasons. Right now, he is hungry and has high aspirations. His new relaxed attitude will likely propel him to great achievements, and Perttu is undoubtedly ready to share his successes with the entire Finnish nation. Let’s keep our spirits high for Perttu and the whole national team and enjoy the exciting battles on the ski arenas this upcoming winter.

Read about Perttu’s victory from the weekend here. For more information on the Tour de Ski and the current standings, visit the ProXCskiing.com website.

Also Read: Tour de Ski 2023/2024: Standings after Stage 3