The national coaches in ski jumping and Nordic combined are asked to secure their livelihood elsewhere. No contracts will be renewed and no activities are planned in the summer.
The national ski jumping and Nordic combined teams knew that bad news was to come. About a month ago it became clear that the ski association’s financial situation was catastrophic.
Now the truth is more tangible than before. At the weekend, all team coaches and employees were informed that there were no financial requirements for a continuation. Almost all contracts are temporary and expire this season.
This means that at this stage the Ski Association cannot guarantee any form of national team-led training activities for the athletes preparing for the World Championships in Trondheim.
I was asked not to speak about the matter
Yle Urheilu saw the message sent. Here are parts of it:
“The board decided on Thursday that the union unfortunately cannot offer any new commitments, such as employment contracts, for the time being.” The business will certainly continue next season, but there is no information at this point in time, as it is possible that new contracts will be signed.”
“Since training is not possible without a trainer, the situation is of course difficult for the industry. Everyone should start planning to ensure their livelihoods and business continuity.”
At the end of the message, recipients are asked not to bring the issue to life, especially in the press.
The message was written by Lauri Kettunen, deputy chairman of the Ski Association and representative for ski jumping and Nordic combined. The announcement was signed by the union’s industry leaders Mika Kojonkoski, Tony Kilponen, Riina Valto and Niina Meis.
You can’t train without a trainer
Yle Urheilu has reached out to Lauri Kettunen for comment.
– As the situation is, we want to be responsible employers and communicate it openly to our employees so that they can prepare for it. Of course we can’t keep people waiting.
A total of five national team coaches worked for the national team in ski jumping and Nordic combined. These are Lauri Hakola, Ossi-Pekka Valta, Kimmo Savolainen, Antti Kuisma and Lauri Asikainen.
Kettunen admits that the ski association currently has no idea what the athletes will do this summer.
– Ski jumping is a sport that cannot be practiced without a coach in the tower. During the summer and fall, they also develop the equipment needed to succeed in the sport. The athletes have high goals, but now there are question marks about the support measures.
According to Kettunen, it is certain that Finland will have teams in both ski jumping and Nordic combined at the start of next season.
The ski association says in its statement that it is intensively looking for a solution to the difficult situation.
The text is a translation of Yle Urheilu’s article “Hiihtoliitosta tyrmäävä viesti maajoukkuevalmentajille – koko säyä vaarassa“.
