Two weeks ago, Heta Hirvonen from Lahti Ski Club and Minja Korhonen won gold in the combined team sprint at the World Youth Championships. The 16-year-old Hirvonen’s first adult world championships will start in Trondheim, Norway, on Thursday with the combined team sprint section. The idea of a trip to the home championships will take shape in Norway just before the first starts.
– The Lahti2029 championships are exactly four years away. I will be 20 years old, a more mature athlete and ready to succeed. It feels good to have a perspective to train towards, says Hirvonen, who has already competed in two World Youth Championships.
Lahti, a host city of the historic eighth FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2029, wants to be part of the journey for young athletes. The world-class conditions, which allow for varied training with cross-country ski runs, side training facilities, and challenging terrain, are available to every young athlete all year round.
– We want to support young national team athletes in their everyday lives so that they can pursue international success in the adult leagues. Heta Hirvonen is the first choice for the team that will aim to reach the top in our home town in 2029, says Mayor Niko Kyynäräinen.
The 700 hours of annual training for a young athlete is made possible by an effective combo: training facilities, school and home are all close by. It’s also easy to travel from Lahti to international competitions.
– I have spent my entire athletic career in Lahti. There are seven hills here, all familiar to me, as are the terrains of the Salpausselkä. This will be a trump card for me and other local athletes at the 2029 home games, says Hirvonen, who wants to be a role model for young people and an ambassador for sport in Lahti.
The recent cooperation aims to raise Lahti’s profile as a city of sport and events. The cooperation will include marketing communications, joint events, and Lahti’s visibility in Hirvonen’s competition and national team uniforms.