BLOG: COLDER. DARKER. KONTIOLAHTI. - A warm welcome Tiril and everyone else!

The selection of Kontiolahti as the starting location for the 2020–2021 biathlon season evoked – well, at least a variety of feelings. Among us Finns and locals, of course, there was immense enthusiasm and positive buzz, but the media also heard slightly more negative tones.

The comment came from, for example, Norway. One of the comments that made headlines came from Kaisa's competition partner, Tiril Eckhoff. He stated in interviews that "Kontiolahti is freezing cold". YLE's article here and Iltalehti story here

Then we thought, why not deny it - it's cold here and as dark as a sack in winter. In November in Kontiolahti, the sun manages to rise for seven hours, most of which it stays behind a curtain of clouds. And there's no celebrating the temperatures here either, because on average the thermometer stays between -7 and -2 degrees, and the winds blowing from the back of the Höytiäinen lake are guaranteed to bite you to the bones and cores if you're not dressed properly. But this is how it has to be in winter sports!

Enthusiastic about this, we decided to take a slightly different angle on the marketing products of the Kontiolahti Games. So we can present the new “Colder. Darker. Kontiolahti." - postcards and t-shirts, for which we are preparing sales channels. The products can be viewed and ordered here.

We also wanted to thank Tiril Eckhoff for this inspiration and offer him some warmth for his arrival in Kontiolahti. So we sent him a special gift. Tiril was handed a package that, in addition to postcards, contained a soft beanie made by the local Scandinavian Diamonds company from Kontiolahti, hand-woven from 100% Finnish sheep wool, decorated with birch wood. According to the latest Iltalehti interview, Tiril was grateful for the gift and liked it when we accepted his criticism with humor.

Beans made by the Scandinavian Diamonds company will also be handed out to female biathletes who did well in Kontiolahti's March 2020 World Cup. Instead of birch in the competition prizes, the decorations are of course real gold, silver and bronze.

Seriously speaking, the newspaper comments do not in themselves affect our competition arrangements - we will organize the best possible competitions for Kontiolahti in extensive cooperation for March and November 2020 and also for November 2021. We will learn from the previous competitions and prepare the stadium for a harder hit than ever before.

Ultimately, however, each guest and each athlete make the spirit of the competition for their own part. Are you there to build the best biathlon atmosphere of all time?

A warm welcome to Kontiolahti to enjoy world-class sports events!