The ski association's finances are in a weak state.
Finland the financial situation of the ski association has spoken during the past year. The discussion took new rounds in connection with the World Cup in Goms, Switzerland, when Johanna Matintalo opened up about his situation.
At that time, Matintalo estimated that he would be left out of the competition team going to the North American World Cup, as the association could not afford to send a team of 12 skiers to the other side of the Atlantic.
Matintalo's prediction came true, as he was left out of the initially announced team of ten skiers.
Named to the team Krista Pärmäkoski however, he missed the trip to the competition, and Matintalo was brought up instead.
Matintalo said in Vantaa after the 20-kilometer SC skiing that it is probably clear to everyone that we are now living in uncertain times when it comes to the economy.
“Certainly the future is also a question mark in a certain way”, he reflected and added:
“I want to believe and hope that elite sports will not be endangered in the future.”
The ski association executive director Ismo Hämäläinen opened in connection with the SC skiing, on what basis it is decided who goes on the race trips.
According to him, the North American trip will cost the union a six-figure figure.
“It's alot. Yes, then of course we think about it from many points of view, how big a team is sent to the competition. Of course, if an athlete is fighting for a good place in the World Cup, it must be ensured that he can compete there”, the chairman Markku Haapasalmi more.
According to Hämäläinen, the most discussion takes place about the situation of athletes who are “at the interface”. When assembling a race team, the line must always be drawn somewhere.
He points out that in addition to the athletes, maintenance and coaching always go on the trip, which increases the multiplier effect on the costs.
“The total cost can increase significantly, for example, if the stay at the race venue is long,” says Hämäläinen.
“As a rule, a hundred people from us travel around the World Cup weekends. Flights, hotels, food and everything related to it, when there are a hundred people, that's quite a number,” says Haapasalmi.
Hämäläinen according to the discussion about the economy in the media has affected the atmosphere within the union.
“Negativity causes uncertainty. The conversation and such basic noise increases. If you think about this North American issue, we usually don't discuss through the press, but we discuss in the background why, in what way and in what way we move forward”, says Hämäläinen.
According to Hämäläinen, the union's challenging financial situation is due to two things.
“The increase in prices as a whole, i.e. travel, accommodation and this side. Second, the financial failure of Helsinki Ski Weeks. The number of audiences was so low that we didn't get the results we thought,” says Hämäläinen.
The Ski Federation organized Helsinki Ski Weeks last March. The event included, for example, the Stadium Sprint, which alone accumulated losses of 250,000 euros.
What does the future look like?
The ski association 50 percent of the budget consists of media income, 25 percent through own fundraising and the remaining 25 percent from state aid.
The entire global economy has been challenged in recent years due to, for example, the corona pandemic and Russia's war of aggression and related sanctions.
The general increase in prices and the weak economy also means that it is difficult for the association to get new partners, and the net income from partnership sales remains smaller.
“Subsidies are unlikely to increase, media income is tied to contracts, and increasing partner income is a challenge in this situation. The expenses are rising, which is why the net, what we get, is lower,” sums up Hämäläinen.
“Throughout the fall and early winter, very close work has been done with the economy. Now we have made a good result and solved the acute financial challenges. We will be able to move on from here, we are relieved in that sense”, says Haapasalmi.
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