Swedish Skier William Poromaa Reacts to Finland's Skiing Crisis

William Poromaa Comments on Finland's Skiing Situation

Swedish skiing star William Poromaa finds himself puzzled by the troubling financial crisis currently impacting the Finnish Ski Association as the new skiing season approaches.

As the 2023/2024 season draws near, Finland's skiing body has surfaced in the news due to devastating financial difficulties, including layoffs and unexpected out-of-pocket expenses for athletes. The association reported a staggering loss of nearly two million euros for the fiscal year ending in late October 2023, with 1.288 million euros attributed directly to the association and an additional 651,000 euros associated with its commercial arm, Nordic Ski Finland.

"It feels strange," Poromaa remarked to Expressen, reflecting on the challenges faced by his Finnish peers. The publication characterized the situation as a "total crisis" in Finnish skiing, emphasizing that athletes are now required to cover their own expenses for participating in World Cup weekends this season.

Poromaa expressed his sadness over Finland's plight, sharing, "I truly hope that the situation changes. It's odd for such a major skiing nation to find itself in this kind of trouble. They should be able to do better together."

With five World Cup podium finishes under his belt and a bronze medal from the 50km race at the 2023 World Championships in Planica, Poromaa firmly believes that such challenges would be unlikely in Sweden, where he claims the sport is managed with professionalism and cohesion. He highlighted the importance of appreciating this stability.

Interestingly, while Sweden’s skiing association has also faced its own set of unusual challenges recently, they are primarily associated with the Alpine skiing division, rather than the cross-country sector.