Finnish Skiing Circles Buzz About 16-Year-Old Exception - Impressed by Antti Tuisku's Offer

Olivia Puranen is a rare Finnish athlete: a super-talented endurance athlete who has entered the world of cross-country skiing.

If everything goes as planned, Olivia Puranen will be a world-class skier by the early 2030s.

This includes a total of eight medals, four of which were won by the now-retired Anita Korva. Last year, Eevi-Inkeri Tossavainen achieved gold and bronze. In 2010, Krista Lähteenmäki (now Pärmäkoski) won a personal gold medal and contributed to a silver in the relay team from which she alone developed into an absolute top-level athlete in adulthood.

These achievements stand as the most illustrious performances by Finnish female skiers from the U20 World Championships between 2010–2024.

Deep Concerns
There has long been a deep concern within the sport's circles about the failure to attract the most talented Finnish girls in endurance sports, particularly to cross-country skiing, where talent still exists, as seen in long-distance running.

At the same time, athletes like Pärmäkoski, 33, and Kerttu Niskanen, 36, wake up every morning a day older; they have far more miles behind them than ahead.

Among the national team’s core skiers, Anne Kyllönen is 36 years old, while the most optimal candidates for peak performance are 28-year-old Jasmi Joensuu and 27-year-old Johanna Matintalo.

An Exception from Jyväskylä
There has been a buzz in skiing circles about an exceptional case from Jyväskylä: a serious endurance talent who managed to capture the attention of cross-country skiing against the odds.

Only turning 17 next year, Olivia Puranen has dominated her age-group competitions effortlessly.

When Yle Urheilu approached Pärmäkoski and Niko Anttola’s manager Aki Pajunoja for an interview with Puranen, he reminded of the athlete’s age and advised to keep the decibels low for now.

– There’s no denying that she has excellent potential, but we are still at the very beginning.

Pajunoja and Puranen are connected by Puranen’s membership in the AT Ski Team, a skiing club established by musician Antti Tuisku, which Pajunoja largely runs.

A Big Step in Oloksella
Last Saturday in Muonio, Oloksella, Puranen took a big step; she participated for the first time in her career in a women’s open category race under tough conditions. The result was 39th place, over four minutes behind winner Victoria Carlista. Puranen had previously registered for one race at the Äänekoski Finnish Championships last spring but withdrew.

– It was really serious, Olivia Puranen laughed after crossing the finish line on the 12km course.
– I wasn’t particularly nervous.

Puranen, who is attending a sports high school, is well aware of her exceptional talent. The mature-speaking and behaving athlete isn’t afraid of healthy public attention.

– It’s important for me to constantly be aware of where I stand. I can’t influence the expectations others set. As an athlete, I want to seek my limits.

Skiing has been part of Puranen's life since she was a little girl. The pursuit became more serious when the former skier Timo Salminen from Jyväskylä started writing Puranen's first training programs about 3–4 years ago.

– Skiing and sports in general are a huge part of my identity, said Puranen, who previously engaged in athletics.

Salminen knows what it’s like to work with a young, talented athlete. His daughter, Heidi Salminen, won the 400-meter hurdles world championship in 2021.

Young skier was impressed when Tuisku and Pajunoja reached out and offered a contract to join the AT Ski Team.

– It brought a completely new perspective to this activity. More of this in skiing.

The ongoing season could see Puranen represent Finland at the junior World Championships in Italy's Schilpario, a realistic goal.

– It’s not the main objective, but we’ll go where we can.