Finnish skating news, 2018 onwards

[Elka]

It is shown on TV. Don't know if you need a VPN. 19.00 local time today.

ETA: and can be watched a year. You do not need a VPN.

 

[Frau Muller]

I am off to Tampere to see the Snow Queen ice show with Laura Lepisto on the leading role and also Mila Kajas & Rahkamo/Kokko skating. Plus some Ice Hockey World Champions. Original music by Tuomas Kantelinen.

Quite interesting - at least I hope.

This lovely show was professionally filmed and recently uploaded to YouTube. Available to watch for free for various months (until 09/04/23).

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

 

[kwanfan1818]

The Snow Queen is on YouTube until 9/4/2023 thanks to ARTE Concert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc4jjwwzLmE&t=1s

So between getting a Master's and PhD and assuming various positions on the Finnish Olympic Committee and Finnish skating federation and the ISU -- we just saw her in official capacity in Espoo -- and getting a Master's and leading Google to world domination, and rearing two children, Rakhamo and Kokko still Got IT in The Snow Queen (as Twin Wizards).

 

[Miezekatze]

Oh this looks lovely, I'll have to watch that. Rahkamo & Kokko

 

[Finnice]

Kiira Korpi's poetry book is published tomorrow. In an interview about it and her life, she tells that she is now separeted from her (male) partner and has realised, that she is a bi-or pansexual. She says she has had an opportunity to be a princess, but now she wants to explore her masculine side.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Kiira Korpi's poetry book is published tomorrow. In an interview about it and her life, she tells that she is now separeted from her (male) partner and has realised, that she is a bi-or pansexual. She says she has had an opportunity to be a princess, but now she wants to explore her masculine side.

interesting. Thanks for the info.

 

[Sylvia]

Figure skating national team 2023–2024 (25/04/2023):

Taitoluistelun maajoukkue 2023–2024 - Suomen Taitoluisteluliitto ry

Uusina maajoukkueeseen nousivat Keravan Luistinseuran Matias Heinonen ja Rauman Taitoluistelijoiden Darja Trubitson.

www.stll.fi

Machine translation below:

The federal government of the Finnish Figure Skating Association has confirmed the skaters for the national team for the season 2023-2024, based on the proposal of the individual skating and ice dance working groups. Matias Heinonen of Kerava Luistinseura and Darja Trubitson of Rauma Figure Skaters joined the national team as newcomers.

National figure skating team 2023-2024

Singles skaters:

Artimo Lotta, EsJt
Ceder Linnea, EsJt
Heinonen Matias, KeLS (new)
Juusola Arttu, PoriTa
Jyrkinen Janna, LrTL
Karhunen Iida, LrTL
Lahti Petra, EsJt
Lindfors Matias, EsJt
Lisko Olivia, EsJt
Ounasvuori Oona, ETK
Pelkonen Nella, Koovee
Peltonen Emmi, EVT (conditional)
Peltonen Minja, EsJt
Reponen Rosa, TapTL
Suntsev Makar, KoTa
Trubitson Darja, RauTL (new)
Virtanen Valtter, PeSal

Thanks for sharing this link, @IDC a.k.a. Ritti: https://www.ess.fi/urheilu/5885328

Peltonen, who received a conditional national team place for next season, will be given the opportunity to complete her performances at the national team's start camp, which will be held on the 29th-31st. May in Vierumäki, Heinola.
- We have very openly and accurately recorded selection criteria for the national team. Certain point limits and elemental performances have been defined, which must be done in order for an athlete to be named to the national team, Satu Niittynen, head of coaching of the Finnish Figure Skating Association, told STT by phone.

Among the single skaters are, as expected, Linnea Ceder and Janna Jyrkinen. The latter finished seventh in his first adult EC competitions. Valtter Virtanen's name is also on the list, so the 35-year-old doctor is continuing his skating career. He finished 14th at the EC ice.
- Valtter has announced that he will continue his career and will remain in the national team, Niittynen said.

Ice dance national team 2023-2024

Juulia Turkkila-Matthias Versluis, HL
Yuka Orihara-Juho Pirinen, HL

Warm congratulations to the selected!

To Emmi Peltonen will be given the opportunity to complete her performances at the national team's start camp on May 29-31, 2023.

National team pages: https://www.stll.fi/maajoukkue/maajoukkue-esittely/
Selection criteria (updated 4/14/2023): https://www.stll.fi/luistelijalle/kilpailijalle/maajoukkuevalinta/

 

[Finnice]

Emmi was injured and had c##id during the last season. It is a good decision to let her show what she still is able to do. Hoping for the best. She is a soulful skater.

 

[Sylvia]

... Emmi Peltonen will be given the opportunity to complete her performances at the national team's start camp on May 29-31, 2023.

National team pages: https://www.stll.fi/maajoukkue/maajoukkue-esittely/
Selection criteria (updated 4/14/2023): https://www.stll.fi/luistelijalle/kilpailijalle/maajoukkuevalinta/

Emmi Peltonen's photo is included in the National Team singles page so hopefully this means she performed well enough at the camp last month: https://www.stll.fi/maajoukkue/maajoukkue-esittely/yksinluistelu/

Valtter Virtanen's photo currently is at the bottom of the singles team page - his venture into PAIRS with Tilda Alteryd (she is from Sweden and debuted internationally at CS Warsaw Cup with Canada's Gabriel Farand in November 2022 - their ISU bio: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00115032.htm) was announced today! Refer to my post in the Pairs discussion thread here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...-sbs-double-salchow-club.110748/#post-6441719

 

[Sylvia]

Link to @IDC a.k.a. Ritti's tweet re. Alteryd/Virtanen: https://twitter.com/Ritti9/status/1668696793834479620

... there are 2 facts that kind of speak in favor of this news being true:
1. Tilda is currently coaching at Valtter and Alina's summer camps in Finland for 6 weeks
2. Valtter has been talking about wanting to try pairs skating for years.

Link to Tilda Alteryd's biographical info for the camp that was posted by teammayervirtanen in late April: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cria8MsL9fX/

This May 17th press release announced Skating Finland's Figure Skating Support grants 2023: https://www.stll.fi/2023/05/17/taitoluistelun-tuki-ryn-tuet-2023/

... Olympic Representation support program (intended to enable the preparation of choreographies for the special needs of a skater's training and international level competition programs):

Janna Jyrkinen , Ida Karhunen , Makar Suntsev and Nella Pelkonen , 7,500 euros each and Olivia Lisko 5,000 euros.

Support for a figure skating club investing in international competition (intended for a club that in the previous season enabled the coach to participate in international competitions with a representative skater (or pair) selected by the Finnish Figure Skating Association (for example, by hiring assistant coaches or paying the coach's travel expenses to international competitions):

Lappeenranta Figure Skaters Association 5,000 euros

Support for pair skating, as a separate support:
Milania Väänänen – Filippo Clerici conditional 7,500 euros

The Finnish Olympic Committee's enhancement support for figure skating (June 6, 2023): https://www.stll.fi/2023/06/06/olympiakomitean-tehostamistuki-taitoluistelulle-4/

The Finnish Olympic Committee's Top Sports Unit has made support decisions regarding enhanced subsidies for winter top sports for the 2023–2024 season. A total of 2,244,000 euros in direct enhancement support was granted, in addition to which the decisions direct expert knowledge to support winter sports training worth more than half a million euros.

The direct financial support of the elite sports unit (HUY) for the 2023-2024 season for top figure skating is a total of €135,000, which is €10,000 more than in the previous season. The use of all subsidies will be agreed in more detail with HUY and the sports association's top sports representative.

Targeting of enhancement support:
– Enhancement of women's single skating coaching
– Enhancement of ice dance coaching
– Ice dance Olympic coach (OV) salary support: Maurizio Margaglio
– Single skating Youth Olympic coach (NOV) salary support: Sirkka Kaipio
– Athletes' health insurance

"The Finnish Figure Skating Association has selected solo skaters for the youth national team, youth project group and challengers. Selections for groups are made annually for one competition season at a time." (June 7, 2023): https://www.stll.fi/ajankohtaista/uutiset-ja-artikkelit/

The youth national team is intended for talented skaters under the age of 16.
The youth project group is intended for talented skaters aged 9–13.
List of selected athletes: https://www.stll.fi/maajoukkue/nuorten-maajoukkue/

 

[Sylvia]

STT Sports article in Finnish (June 14) - "Valtter Virtanen switches to pair skating after finding a 150-centimeter partner":

Valtter Virtanen siirtyy pariluisteluun löydettyään 150-senttisen partnerin

Valtter Virtanen siirtyy pariluisteluun löydettyään 150-senttisen partnerin

yle.fi

Machine translated excerpt:

Valtter Virtanen, the long-time top figure in men's figure skating in Finland, will switch to pair skating next season in the hope of making it to the next Winter Olympics. He has found Tilda Alteryd as his partner.
- The purpose is to make a sliding transfer during the fall. Let's keep the gate open for the fact that if it doesn't bother me, I can still participate in the figure skating championships [he means in singles, presumably] in the fall, Virtanen confirmed to STT.
Virtanen said that he tried pair skating for a few months more than ten years ago and that he had been "semi-actively" looking for a pair in recent years.
...
- That's the end of the year. It will be until November before he can represent another country. We will get to the European and World Championships right away if the screens are enough. There is a two-year gap before the Olympic Games, Virtanen said.

ETA link to Skating Finland's June 15th post: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctg95GgIBPP/
Machine translation:

The solo skating national team skater Valtter Virtanen is practicing pair skating together with Tilda Alteryd.

We will remain watching with interest if we will have several pair of pair skates in the national team in the future.

 

[Finnice]

Dr V is really loving his sport, ha?

 

[Sylvia]

Adam Solya has worked on Alteryd/Virtanen's SP (music not yet revealed), according to her post today: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtjlAYXoaAs/

 

[Sylvia]

Finland received 10 Grand Prix assignments on June 28:

Juulia TURKKILA / Matthias VERSLUIS (#5 Espoo & #6 JPN)
Yuka ORIHARA / Juho PIRINEN (Espoo)
Janna JYRKINEN (#3 FRA)
3 TBD Women for GP Espoo
Makar SUNTSEV (GP debut in Espoo)
1 Man TBD for Espoo
Milania VAANANEN / Filippo CLERICI (GP debut in Espoo) - first season they can compete internationally

 

[Sylvia]

March 2019:

Like this article points out, the Lindfors skating family produced a National Champion at every level this season: Viveca in seniors, Fanny in juniors and now Matias in novice boys. Pretty impressive!

I didn't find any videos of the competition (but then again, I only did a lazy/quick search on YT, so...) However, Matias' SP and FS from the recent Tallink Cup novice comp are online.

4.5 years later... here's Matias Lindfors' Carmen at the JGP in Linz (9th in FS, 10th overall with 2 ISU PBs of 119.36 & 174.52): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVsnp9y7exA
(CC: @Hanna )

Good to see Emmi Peltonen back in competition again - her post after Autumn Classic International this weekend: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxPEJm-sj6g/
Machine translation:

Montreal - What a start, but you have to start somewhere after a break like this. Add a race routine to your body and the training will be visible on the ice.

If anyone was wondering why my mama was on the sidelines this season she'll be on it whenever my coach Sirkka can't get away because of other jobs! Good to keep your nerves in check.

 

[Hanna]

March 2019:

4.5 years later... here's Matias Lindfors' Carmen at the JGP in Linz (9th in FS, 10th overall with 2 ISU PBs of 119.36 & 174.52): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVsnp9y7exA
(CC: @Hanna )

Good to see Emmi Peltonen back in competition again - her post after Autumn Classic International this weekend: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxPEJm-sj6g/
Machine translation:

Thanks @Sylvia ! Matias is such a gem - it's such rare performance quality that he's always had. Comes straight from the soul, you can tell.

 

[Sylvia]

This sounds ominous:

Suomen Taitoluisteluliitto käynnistää muutosneuvottelut - Suomen Taitoluisteluliitto ry

Suomen Taitoluisteluliitto on päättänyt käynnistää muutosneuvottelut, joiden on suunniteltu mahdollisesti johtavan henkilöstön lomauttamiseen ja 2–3 työntekijän työsuhteen päättämiseen. Perusteena on liiton taloustilanteen merkittävä heikentyminen, joka johtuu niin kulujen kasvusta kuin myös...

www.stll.fi

Machine translation:

The Finnish Figure Skating Federation has decided to initiate change negotiations, which are planned to potentially lay off leading personnel and terminate the employment of 2–3 employees. The basis is a significant weakening of the union's financial situation, which is caused by the increase in expenses as well as the decrease in event income other than temporarily.

In these circumstances, the Finnish Figure Skating Association is thoroughly reviewing its operations and is trying to find more efficient ways to perform tasks and serve its members. Consequently, operations must be reorganized to reflect a cost level that enables the union's long-term operation in an economically sustainable manner.

Decisions are made after careful consideration and negotiation, and we aim to provide support and opportunities for those whose employment is ending.

The federal government understands that these measures can be difficult for our staff as well as our members. Cooperation is very important to us, and we strive to keep our members and stakeholders informed about the progress of the changes. We thank our community for their understanding and support in the face of these challenges.

More information and inquiries on Tuesday 17 October 2023 from 14:00 to 15:30.

Jouko Pitkänen, chairman

 

[Sylvia]

Valtter Virtanen is listed to make his season debut at the 2023 Denis Ten Memorial, Nov. 2-5 in Astana KAZ (entries are posted in the Challenger Series thread).

I posted yesterday in the Pairs general discussion thread that the pairs partnership between Virtanen & Tilda Alteryd has ended, according to her Instagram post 3 days ago: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ouble-salchow-club.110748/page-5#post-6481683

 

[Sylvia]

Catching up with Finland’s Yuka Orihara and Juho Pirinen by Judith Dombrowski (October 18, 2023):

Catching up with Finland's Orihara and Pirinen

Yuka Orihara and Juho Pirinen Yuka Orihara and Juho Pirinen, a dynamic duo from Finland who joined forces in 2019, have been garnering a well-deserved

www.goldenskate.com

Direct link to the 24-minute interview on Golden Skate's YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoIq3yAeFmw

 

[firstflight]

Catching up with Finland’s Yuka Orihara and Juho Pirinen by Judith Dombrowski (October 18, 2023):

Catching up with Finland's Orihara and Pirinen

Yuka Orihara and Juho Pirinen Yuka Orihara and Juho Pirinen, a dynamic duo from Finland who joined forces in 2019, have been garnering a well-deserved

www.goldenskate.com

Direct link to the 24-minute interview on Golden Skate's YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoIq3yAeFmw

This was a delightful interview. And I think for the ice dance fans, they give really good insight into the not-easy process of selecting the music for the 80's rhythm dance this season. They expressed their personal need to stay away from 80's rock and were very forthright about the other selections that were considered and rejected. They were just as open about their FD program and song choices. I love when skaters are less guarded about sharing developmental steps for creating their programs.

 

[Karen-W]

Finnish team for Euros has been announced (Janna Jyrkinen WD from Finnish Nats) -

https://www.skatingfinland.fi/tapahtumat/nella-pelkonen-ja-makar-suntsev-suomen-mestareiksi/?fbclid=PAAabFgBSzdFlBV_igWaMoBbgdUeQK7TtjoBUAaCZiCXk66g0h6CUIHw6stRE

Women - Nella Pelkonen, Emmi Peltonen (reserves in order - Olivia Lisko, Oona Ounasvuori, Janna Jyrkinen)
Men - Makar Suntsev (reserves in order - Valtter Virtanen, Arttu Juusola)
Pairs - Milania Vaananen/Filippo Clerici
Dance - Juulia Turkkila/Matthias Versluis, Yuka Orihara/Juho Pirinen

 

[Finnice]

Nella was so good today. Ounasvuori rocked in the FP, too bad that her international scores are not in par with Peltonen.

Virtanen won the free, but was awkward in SP, and the judges seem to want fresher faces to Europeans.

 

[Kelvster]

Wonder if Emmi would be sent to Worlds after Peltonen’s disastrous free programme

Also, I wonder if we would get to see Dr. V one more time (who miraculously got his World FP TES in the Denis Ten Memorial last year). The new guy ain’t bad but doesn’t seem to have the minimums

 

[airgelaal]

Wonder if Emmi would be sent to Worlds after Peltonen’s disastrous free programme

Also, I wonder if we would get to see Dr. V one more time (who miraculously got his World FP TES in the Denis Ten Memorial last year). The new guy ain’t bad but doesn’t seem to have the minimums

He is planning to compete at the Bavarian Open.

 

[Kelvster]

Thanks .. I meant .. whether Dr. v would go to worlds …

 

[airgelaal]

Thanks .. I meant .. whether Dr. v would go to worlds …

I'm sure he'll go.

 

[Finnice]

If Suntsev gets the minimums, I guess he will get the World spot.
The Nordics may decide between Peltonen(Emmi) and Pelkonen(Nella).

 

[Karen-W]

Is Jyrkinen out for the rest of the season?

 

[LoisAGOEs]

Is Jyrkinen out for the rest of the season?

She’s on the entry list for Tallink Hotels Cup.

 

[Seerek]

Valtter Virtanen winning a senior international medal at 36 years of age at Tallink Hotels Cup.