Finnish Olympic Committee happy with medal haul despite second-worst result ever

[p]It was the third time this century that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/finland/4OzUaL1K/"]Finland[/a] left the Winter Olympics without a gold medal to their name, while a collection of one silver and five bronzes is exactly one bronze better than their tally at Vancouver 2010, when they came 24th.[/p][p][b]Half their medals - including the silver - were won by nordic combined heroes Ilkka Herola and Eero Hirvonen,[/b] who finished as runners-up in the team event after Herola had taken bronze in the large hill/10km, and Hirvonen did the same in the normal hill/10km.[/p][p][b]Bronze also went to the men's ice hockey team, the women's 4x 7.5km cross-country skiing relay team and biathlete [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/minkkinen-suvi/n3CTVbie/"]Suvi Minkkinen[/a] in the women's pursuit.[/b][/p][p]The medal haul is significantly down on Beijing four years ago, when Finland won two golds, two silvers and four bronzes. [/p][p]Despite that, sports director of the Finnish Olympic Committee (FOC), Janne Hanninen, said that Finland's target for the Milan-Cortina games have been met. He announced before the games that six medals was the aim, while the FOC's own data system put the target of 5.35.[/p][embed guid="6c226eb0-abd9-4bcb-a993-321f3a0a74c2" url="https://x.com/OlympicTeamFI/status/2024481391186964563" social-type="twitter" /][p]While clearly the target was realistic, Hanninen had mixed feelings about his nation's success when speaking to Helsingen Sanomat.[/p][p][b]"Considering our current level, we did quite well. At the same time, we have to admit that this is not enough. We need to get more potential medalists,"[/b] said the former speed skater.[/p][p]As with any sport in any country at the elite level, funding must be properly allocated for Finland to reach its potential. Hanninen suggests Finland are on the right track.[/p][p][b]"We have started to make changes little by little through the economy. It is already visible in summer sports, and now it is continuing in winter sports.[/b][/p][p][b]"The change in routine has yet to be made. We need to get to the point where everything we do is focused on the core of elite sports: how we can make athletes better physically, technically and tactically,"[/b] he added.[/p][embed guid="6ea49fc0-5be0-48a3-a16b-ce7b98e30954" url="https://x.com/OlympicTeamFI/status/2025332882911236123" social-type="twitter" /][p]Finnish fans have been forced to watch their neighbours have great success at the 2026 Winter Olympics - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/rH8V3eA3/"]Norway[/a] topped the medal table once again, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/MPCH9jnq/"]Sweden[/a] finished seventh.[/p][p]Hanninen believes focusing on giving the elite talent an extra boost is enough to see Finland challenge their local rivals.[/p][p][b]"I can't comment on why they are ahead. But we are making quite a few big changes this spring so that we can catch up with Sweden and Norway,"[/b] said Hanninen.[/p][p][b]"In my eyes, the biggest thing is that the focus is on achieving results in top sports. Completely, and not on the side effects around it. We need to make that big change."[/b][/p][p][b]"We want to focus support on those athletes and sports that are capable of producing medals. It has been estimated that the top-8 is the level at which one is within striking distance of a medal. Now we have really clear criteria for why money is distributed and how much."[/b][/p]