Iivo Niskanen's Illness May Affect Olympic Participation – Norway's Situation Even More Difficult

Iivo Niskanen is a crucial member of the Finnish ski team as they vie for places in the 2026 Winter Olympics. The situation is dire for Norway due to a strict quota.

Niskanen did not participate in the Tour due to an illness. He is an essential link in Finland's team. Photo: Jean Christophe Bott / EPA

The Finnish team received unfortunate news on the eve of the Tour de Ski when Iivo Niskanen revealed he would miss the tour due to illness. Finland's men's coach Ville Oksanen explained to the Swedish newspaper Expressen that it was due to a common flu.

According to Oksanen, Iivo Niskanen was extremely disappointed about his illness. The coach also highlighted the critical nature of this absence for the entire team. "This is a significant setback for us. The Nations Cup (editor's note: an international competition within the World Cup for cross-country skiing) is important for us as we fight for spots to the Olympics. We need to perform the best we can with the skiers available," Oksanen said.

The absence of Perttu Hyvärinen is also diminishing Finland's strength. Photo: Getty Images

Finnish head coach Teemu Pasanen stated to Yle Urheilu even before the Christmas break, following the Davos World Cup, that the allocation of berths for the February 2026 Olympics is one of the main themes of the season. Thus, performing well in the Nations Cup is crucial.

With Niskanen and Hyvärinen both out, Finland has dropped from second to fourth in the Nations Cup standings.

Men's Nations Cup:

Women's Nations Cup:

No Full Roster for Beijing

The Olympic spots are allocated through a very complicated system. Countries are ranked based on current World Cup results, World Championship results, and junior World Championship results during the season.

Each country can send a maximum of four athletes to an Olympic event. However, the best countries can name a total of 8 men and 8 women based on the Olympic ranking. The more athletes that can be named to the Olympics, the more leeway and buffer there is for selections.

Finland did not manage a full contingent of athletes for the recent Olympics in Beijing. Finland was able to send six men and seven women.

In Beijing, problems arose on the closing race of the free style 50 kilometers, as there weren't enough capable and willing participants. Only two male skiers represented Finland, instead of the full four.

The Olympic spots for the Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo Games will be allocated similarly to the Olympics in Beijing. There is a total quota of 296 skiers for the competitions, with 148 women and 148 men.

Finland ranked sixth in the Olympic rankings for Beijing.

Based on the rankings, at least one Olympic berth was awarded to 57 countries for men. Therefore, the total quota of 148 skiers for the Beijing Olympics was filled rapidly, meaning Finland also did not receive the maximum allocation of seven athletes per gender.

Women received at least one Olympic spot from 42 countries, allowing Finland to secure seven spots.

Joni Mäki won silver for Finland in the men's sprint event at the Beijing Olympics. His place for the upcoming Olympics is uncertain if Finland only has six slots to fill.