Iivo Niskanen

Finnish cross country skier Iivo Niskanen is a two time Olympic champion and made his senior debut in the FIS World Cup in 2011.

After his first World Cup appearance 10 years ago, Niskanen’s real breakthrough was three years later at the 2014 Under 23 World Championships. He won the 15km classic race with a margin of more than 17 seconds, establishing himself as a key player on the scene. In the same year he competed in the Winter Olympics, held in Russia, winning a gold medal in the men’s team sprint event and going on to be nominated for Finnish Sports Personality of the Year because of his achievement. From there Niskanen put in solid performances over the next few years, including his first World Cup win at the end of 2014, followed by a gold at the World Cup 15km individual event in 2016. In 2017 he won both a bronze and a gold at the World Championships, and was once again named Finnish Sports Personality of the Year. Niskanen didn’t stop there though, going on to compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics and take his second gold medal in the 50km mass start event. Amazingly, he was awarded Finnish Sports Personality of the Year for the third time after his performance.

Most recently, Niskanen won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships and a gold at the 15km individual event at the start of 2020. This Finnish star is a favourite among fans and other athletes alike.