Finland’s poor showing in Winter Olympics calls for fundamental changes in sports and coaching structures

Sports Director of Finnish Olympic Committee: “Right now there are more questions than answers”

Kari Niemi-Nikkola

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Kari Niemi-Nikkola, the Sports Director of the Finnish Olympic Committee, does not want to start laying the blame on anyone for Finland’s poor success in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
      According to Niemi-Nikkola it is clear that after the games the matter will be examined.
      And besides, the games are not over yet. There is still a chance for more medals. Alpine skier Tanja Poutiainen, for one, still has her strongest event left, namely ladies’ giant slalom. Figure skaters Kiira Korpi and Laura Lepistö are also yet to perform their free skating programmes, although after having underperformed in the short programme (Korpi 17th, Lepistö 10th), both skaters’ hopes to stand on the medal podium now remain rather theoretical.
      In ice hockey, Finland will play the Czech Republic later today in a men’s playoffs quarterfinal, and tomorrow the Finnish and Swedish women’s teams will battle it out for the ice hockey bronze.
      So, all in all, there is still a chance of beating Finland’s poorest-ever medal haul from the Winter Olympics. From the 1932 games in Lake Placid Finland came home with a measly three medals.
     
Based on Finland’s success so far in these games it is already clear that some of the coaching staff will not continue in their posts during the coming Olympiad.
      According to Niemi-Nikkola, Finnish top-level sports will face fundamental structural and organisational changes. The associations of various disciplines, in particular, will have to work closer together.
      “In this respect we are clearly behind the top countries. We need to advance from the association-specific pottering around to wider cooperation. There is not enough top-level know-how.”
     
Niemi-Nikkola says that for Vancouver the aim was deliberately set high. Four years ago in Torino, Finland won nine medals, of which only one bronze came from cross-country skiing. In Vancouver, cross-country skiing in particular was supposed to be the discipline to deliver the goods.
     
So what went wrong with the preparations?
      “I am unable to comment on that at this point. It is clear that something did go wrong. We will look into the reasons, when the time is right. Right now we have more questions than answers.”
     
Why are these games so difficult for Finland?
      “Hmmm… that is partly a mystery to me as well. Based on the last season we had high expectation with regard to cross-country skiing, but already before Vancouver the The confidence disappeared. The year 2009 lead us to believe that we would be successful in 2010 as well.”
     
Can Finland be called a winter sports country any more now that even Australia has more medals than we do?
      “Ha-ha. I would not draw such conclusions just yet. Our winter sports culture is very wide.”
     
Who set the target of 12 medals for Finland?
      “The Olympic Committee Board of Directors did. It was pondered over by several committees. A target should be high.”
     
As for medals, what was your own realistic objective?
      "10–12. I have to commit myself to the set targets.”
     
Will heads roll in the coaching directors’ ranks because of these games?
      “I am sure there will be changes. In the course of the spring it will all be revealed. But it is a question of more fundamental changes than just changing coaches. Wider corrective measures are needed. The coaches are not magicians.”
     
Changes like what?
      “We are talking about structural changes. Not just money. There is not enough cooperation between the various disciplines. The entire system has to be reprogrammed, and that is a major task.
     
How secure is your own position as the Sports Director of the Finnish Olympic Committee?
      “I hope I will keep the job. My employment is in force until further notice. I believe I will maintain my position.”
     
So, who is to blame for such a poor Olympic success?
      “I will not start naming names. This is something everyone should think about within themselves.”
     
How many more medals will Finland win?
      “We will get some more medals after Tuesday. There is the Nordic combined, women’s Alpine skiing, men’s and women’s ice hockey, plus women’s cross-country skiing relay and 30 km.”
     
In Niemi-Nikkola’s view discussions revolving too much around aims and medals in top sports take the matter into the wrong direction. “Too much focus on such things is not reasonable.”
      From the Finnish sports fans Niemi-Nikkola asks for patience. “Coaching top athletes is specialist work and should be left to the professionals. There are one million coaches among the Finnish television viewers, but this is not a matter of a referendum.”


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Knee injury prevents Janne Ahonen from taking part in Olympic team event (22.2.2010)
  Finnish Olympic Committee sets stiff medals target for Vancouver (28.5.2009)

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