Kontiolahti’s early snow track may completely melt in spring – Finland's top biathletes disappointed

Kontiolahti municipality is currently looking for savings, aiming to reduce next year's budget by 1.5 million euros. One possible target for cuts could be the early season snow track operated by Kontiolahti Outdoor. Sari Jormanainen, the municipality's leisure manager, noted discussions about the future of the track.

Creating the track costs the taxpayers of Kontiolahti approximately 220,000 euros, based on the snow's price of about four euros per cubic meter for 55,000 cubic meters of snow. The County Director, Jari Tuononen, is unsure of the specifics of the savings proposals for the upcoming budget, indicating that discussions will occur at a council seminar next Tuesday.

The snow track serves paying skiers, especially ensuring the hosting of Biathlon World Cup events later this year. The season kicks off in Kontiolahti at the end of November and early December. Kimmo Turunen, the chairperson of Kontiolahti Sports Club, emphasized that all track planning aligns with the needs of the World Cup.

However, starting 2025-2026, the World Cup organizers may not need the early snow track since natural snow is typically present by March. It was mentioned that if winter conditions are poor, artificial snow could be machine-made thicker on existing tracks.

Currently, the early track spans 1.5 kilometers, and is expected to double in length in a month and a half.

Top Finnish biathletes disappointed

The early season track is a vital training site for Finland's biathletes, with most of the national team practicing in Kontiolahti. Suvi Minkkinen expressed surprise and disappointment about the potential plan to end the track after this spring, highlighting its long-standing availability.

She emphasized its significance by stating, "I wouldn't have thought this was a possibility. This snow track has been in use for so long, and I consider it a given that the track is always open in October in Kontiolahti." Minkkinen was disappointed, fearing her Olympic preparation plans would be adversely affected if the snow track is discontinued.

Minkkinen said that if the Kontiolahti track is not available, she would need to train elsewhere, possibly in Vuokatti, significantly impacting her training routine.

Similarly, Tero Seppälä remarked on the importance of the early snow track for athletes, explaining that it has served as a crucial training site for nearly ten years. He noted the difficulties of training in popular locations like Vuokatti and underscored the early track as a competitive advantage for the team.

The current snow on the track was produced last winter and stored at the Kontiolahti Biathlon Stadium over the summer. The early snow track is set to officially open on Friday, though skiers were already allowed access on Thursday.