One of Finland’s cross-country skiing heroes will reach the end of his road when the season concludes, as Perttu Hyvärinen leaves the sport.

Left out of Finland’s Olympic team, Hyvärinen will retire from his cross-country skiing career after this season, Yle reported on its website on Sunday.

The experienced cross-country skier, 34, has claimed several significant results during his career, including a relay silver medal at the 2023 World Championships in Planica.

Missing out on the Milan–Cortina Olympics has clearly hit Hyvärinen hard.

“Important competitions for athletes are about to begin, and for now, I don’t really want to fully open up in public about everything that has been going through my mind lately. But I have always believed that in sport, everything good, such as race selections, is based purely on results and performance, not politics. Unfortunately, I can no longer be completely sure about that,” Perttu Hyvärinen told Yle.

According to Yle, Hyvärinen is referring to the fact that in team selections, “athletes coached by the Ski Association’s own coaches were chosen ahead of him.” Hyvärinen’s coach, Mikko Virtanen, is no longer employed by the Finnish Ski Association.

Text: STT Sports/Teemu Virtanen

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