Dozens of Finnish coaches have guided Chinese athletes in recent years, many on national teams. HS will now introduce some of them.
China’s acting as coach of the cross-country team Glenn Lindholm is not the only Finnish coach employed by the Olympic host in recent years.
Aiming to become one of the great powers in winter sports, China launched a project a few years ago that saved no money or resources. It has already brought jobs to dozens of Finnish coaches.
China’s decision to become a winter sports country has allowed coaches to work not only on national teams but also at the grassroots level. The youngest trainees have only been a few years old.
Finland and China celebrated their joint winter sports theme year 2019, but cooperation between the parties began years earlier. The Chinese cross-country team practiced long periods in Vuokatti already in 2016.
At that time, he was in charge of coaching the national team Mikko Virtanen, who years ago was assisted by, among other things, a ski guardian Hannu Hovila. There were even more ski coaches at Vuokatti Sports College.
The Chinese also relied on Finnish expertise Antti Leppävuori piloting in his B-national team.
Read more: China’s best skiers train for a couple of months in Vuokatti – homesick, but the goal of the Asian Games is a medal
Skiing in addition, blue-and-white coaches have risen to the Chinese as they guide the headlines, especially in the hill jump.
China launched a project in which mountain eagles were to be baked from beginners who had barely seen snow. A group of more than 20 Chinese visited the jumping hill for the first time in late 2018 in Siilinjärvi.
The driving responsibility for the project was In Mika Kojonkoski, assisted by, among others Pekka Niemelä and Janne Ylijärvi. The equipment technician in the group was a former top jumper Janne Happonen.
Kojonkoski’s time in China ended unexpectedly in the autumn of 2021 in the middle of the contract period. At the time, he was the sport leader of the country’s hill jump. He has been coaching Chinese jumpers since spring 2020 Jani Klinga.
Before being washed, Klinga pulled ski schools in China.
In addition, at least a snowboard coach has brought winter sports coaching skills to Chinese national teams Pekka Koskela, combined coach Topi Sarparanta as well as a curling coach Tomi Rantamäki.
Read more: The Chinese sent a number of the country’s most talented young people to Kuopio to learn how to jump a hill – this is what their jumps look like now
Read more: China is forcing itself into a winter sports country by force – that’s why hockey coaches Mika and Juuso moved to Beijing, and nine trucks of snow were dumped in the corner of the ambassador’s sauna.
Even in hockey China has relied on Finnish coaching. Known as dragons, the national team has played like this in recent years Jyrki Ahon than Juha Nurminen under the heel of.
Aho worked as head coach in the period 2017–2018, Nurminen in the period 2018–2019. Aho’s coaching team included Sakari Lindfors and Matias Sarvela, Nurminen was supported by Markku Paukkunen and Ville Närhi.
Chinese hockey players have also practiced in Vuokatti. The coronavirus put the 2A division on the ice of China’s international operations at World Cup level, but the country got into the Olympics as a host.
At the level of China, it is far from the requirements of the Olympic discus. It ranks 32nd in the World Ranking of the International Hockey Association (IIHF).
At the Olympics, Finnish goalkeeper coach brings Finnish color to Chinese coaching Jari Kaarela.
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