Aino-Kaisa Saarinen

Aino-Kaisa Saarinen is an accomplished Finnish cross-country skier with numerous Olympic and World Championship medals. After embarking on her distinguished cross-country skiing career in the World Cup circuit in 1998, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen went on to establish a twenty-year tenure, competing in four Winter Olympic Games and achieving a record 354 individual World Cup starts for both men and women. Her early career saw immediate success, earning a Junior World Championships Gold Medal in the 4 x 5 km relay in 1999 and a U23 World Championships Silver Medal in the 15 km freestyle in 2002. Saarinen made her Olympic debut in Turin in 2006, securing her first Olympic Bronze Medal in the Team Sprint event.

After a distinguished twenty-year competitive career, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen officially retired from professional cross-country skiing in 2018. She concluded her career with an exceptional record of five Olympic medals (two silver, three bronze) and ten World Championship medals (four gold, one silver, five bronze). Post-retirement, Saarinen has transitioned into sports administration, where she continues to contribute to the sport. She was appointed as the new Secretary General of the Lahti Ski Games, taking on a key leadership role in one of Finland’s most significant annual ski events.