Finnish Cross-Country Star Niskanen Retires

Finland's cross-country skiing legend Kerttu Niskanen has decided to hang up her skis after an impressive 20-year professional career. The 38-year-old athlete secured eight individual World Cup victories and clinched the distance cup in 2023.

Despite accumulating five Olympic medals throughout her career, Niskanen never captured the elusive gold medal. Her closest moment came at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where she earned silver, finishing just four-tenths of a second behind Norwegian champion Therese Johaug. "I've been allowed to compete professionally in cross-country skiing for an incredible 20 years," Niskanen wrote on Instagram, reflecting on a journey filled with triumphs, celebrations, experiences, growth, challenges, and defeats. ipltable.lol