National team in Kontiolahti - high place camping open

The Finnish biathlon team, with the exception of Mari Eder, trains in June-July at home.

The head coach of the national biathlon team camping in Kontiolahti and the Joensuu region, Jonne Kähkönen, is satisfied that the team has been able to do the exercises for the summer season.

Corona has, however, changed the national team's operations compared to previous years. Everyday life is colored by uncertainty about what training-related things can be done on any schedule.

─We have a pretty precise plan for the next months, and the focus is on the home country at this stage. We want certainty that it is safe to travel and the athletes' health is without a doubt the number one priority, says Kähkönen.

Homeland as an alternative to high-altitude camps       

With the exception of Mari Eder, who lives in Austria, the national team is currently training in June-July in Finland. The national team is currently camping in North Karelia.

─There are good training conditions here. Joensuu and its surroundings - a world-class stadium in Kontiolahti - is a big plus for us in that we can do the things we need to be able to do at this stage of the season, says Kähkönen.

High altitude training cannot be done in natural conditions in Finland. If you can't get to the mountains, the national team has an alternative plan. According to it, the national team can use Liikuntakeskus Pajulahti's alpine lodge for training.

─Such shorter adaptation periods, for example, where you get a stimulus and get to know how your own body adapts to high altitude, and then normal training at sea level, says Kähkönen.

See the full interview with head coach Jonne Kähkönen on Kontiolahti Biathlon's Facebook wall.

More information:

Kontiolahti Biathlon: Marketing and Communications Manager Heikki Hamunen 0400 350900

Training of the biathlon team: Head coach Jonne Kähkönen 046 878 2209.