Expert Groups

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Coaching Advisory Commission

The Coaching Advisory Commission is an advisory body for coaching and education. Its duties include

Planning and assisting the preparations and coaching for the Olympic Games
Preparing the proposals for the Olympic teams, coaching support, grants for coaches and the coaching development as well as other coaching and educational matters
Deciding on scholarships for the travelling expenses of coaches and experts within the budget up to 1680 euros
Planning and developing the educational activities of the Olympic Committee
Anticipating the progress of Finnish elite sport and working out new methods of development
Preparing the strategy for Finnish elite sport and a plan of action for the current Olympiad

Kari Niemi-Nikkola, chairman
Sports Director, Finnish Olympic Committee
Susanna Haarala
Figure Skating Coach
Pia Nybäck
NOC board member
Pasi Sarkkinen

Simo Tarvonen
Chief of Coaching, Mäkelänrinne Sport High School
Tommi Vasankari
Dosent, M.D., Head of Medical Department, Sports Institute of Finland
Jukka Viitasalo
Ph.D., Professor, Director in Scientific Service, KIHU - Research Institute for Olympic Sports
Erkka Westerlund
CEO, Sport Institute of Finland Vierumäki
Asko Härkönen
Development Manager, Finnish Olympic Committee
Pirjo Puskala, secretary
Liaison Manager, Finnish Olympic Committee

Medical Commission

The Medical Commission constitutes a medical advisory body of the Finnish Olympic Committee. Its duties include

Supervising, planning and developing the health care service of the olympic athletes and general health-promoting measures
Promoting and distributing antidoping information particularly to a target group of olympic coaches, scholarship athletes of the Olympic Committee and the national team athletes in the national sports federations
Promoting and supervising a responsible observance of ethical principles among the athletes, coaches and health care personnel involved in the activities of the Olympic Committee
Being responsible of planning and supervising the health care of the Olympic team, and putting forward a proposal of the health care personnel of the Olympic team
Preparing the statements of opinion related to the sports medicine of the Olympic Committee
Evaluate and determine the course of the development work related to sports medicine

Tommi Vasankari, chairman
Dosent, M.D., Head of Medical Department, Sports Institute of Finland
Jarmo Ahonen
Physiotherapist
Patrik Borg
MSc (nutrition)
Eero Hyvärinen
Physician, Orthopaedic Surgeon
Pekka Malmberg
Physician, asthma specialist
Seppo Pehkonen
Physiotherapist
Jari Syrjänen
Physician, Orthopaedic Surgeon
Kari Niemi-Nikkola
Sports Director Finnish Olympic Committee
Asko Härkönen
Development Manager, Finnish Olympic Committee
Pirjo Puskala secretary
Liaison Manager, Finnish Olympic Committee

In addition, specialists of different medical fields will be invited to specific meeting.

Athletes' Lifestyle Management Expert Group

The goals of the expert group are to work on strategies for athletes in

combining education and training
lifestyle management
career after sports
adjusting in life after sports

Tuuli Merikoski, chairman, Finnish Olympic Committee
Marko Asell
Päivi Frantsi
Sport psychologist
Leena Huovinen
Reijo Jylhä
Head Coach, Cross-country Skiing, Finnish Ski Association
Matti Keskinarkaus
Jan-Erik Krusberg
Hanno Möttölä
Virpi Ojakangas-Palmunen
Project Manager, Athlete Program, Adecco Finland
Leena Paavolainen
Susanna Rahkamo-Kokko
NOC board member

Athletes' Commission

The Athletes’ Commission constitutes a connecting link between the Finnish elite athletes and the Olympic Committee, looking after the interests of the athletes, as well as functions as an advisory body of the Olympic Committee. Its duties include

Ensuring that the interests and rights of the athletes are respected in decision-making, as well as preparing initiatives and proposals to the Olympic Committee’s board of directors
Preparing issues brought up by the Athletes’ Commissions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the European Olympic Committees (EOC) and draw up proposals for the board of the Finnish Olympic Committee
Requesting the proposals for the Athlete’s Commission of the Finnish Olympic Committee from the national sports federations for olympic and non-olympic events, as well as coordinating the nomination of representatives to the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission
Putting forward from among their own group a/the representative(s) required by rules to the board of the Olympic Committee
Expressing opinions and distributing notices related to current issues in sports and athletes’ training

Sari Multala, chairman, sailing
Mikaela Ingberg, athletics, javelin throw
Olli-Pekka Karjalainen, athletics, hammer throw
Matti Keskinarkaus, ski orienteering
Emma Terho, ice hockey
Hannu Manninen, nordic combined
Hanno Möttölä basketball
Tapio Nirkko, sailing
Mikko Ronkainen, freestyle moguls
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, cross country sking
Teemu Heino, taekwondo
Saku Koivu, ice hockey
member of IOC Athletes' Commission
Pirjo Puskala secretary
Liaison Manager, Finnish Olympic Committee

Marketing and Communications Commission

The Marketing and Communications Commission is an advisory body for marketing, communications and public relations. Its duties include

Promoting the image of the Finnish Olympic Committee.
The strategies of marketing and communications
Tv-formats of Finnish Olympic Committee
The strategies of financing and funding
The public relations.

Jari Elo, chairman
Marketing and Communications Manager, Finnish Olympic Committee
Pekka Aula
Tarja Jussila
Ilkka Juva
Mika Lintilä
Kimmo J. Lipponen
NOC board member
Tim Petersen
Anna Sorainen
Sari Tuunainen, secretary
Information Officer, Finnish Olympic Committee

Finnish Olympic Academy

The Finnish Olympic Academy promotes the Olympism in Finland according to the model of the International Olympic Academy (IOA) by

Producing educational material related to the Olympic Games and the Olympic Ideal
Arranging annual sessions
Dealing with the current issues in the Finnish Olympic movement and sports life
Choosing and preparing the representatives for the IOA meetings
Functioning as a connecting link between the IOA and the Olympic Academies in other countries

Further information about the Finnish Olympic Academy »

Petri Haapanen, president
Oskar Breilin
Physical and Health Education Teacher, Secondary School of Vääksy
Katja Huotari
Education Manager, Finnish Antidoping Agency FINADA
Jari Kanerva
Director, Communications, The Finnish Society for Research in Sport and Physical Education
Tiina Kivisaari
NOC board member
Katriina Sahala
Coordinator, International Floorball Federation
Kimmo Sirainen
Principal, Varala Sports Institute
Jukka Tiikkaja
Program Manager, Sport Institute of Finland Vierumäki
Sari Tuunainen
Information Officer, Finnish Olympic Committee
Anja Järvinen, honorary president
Hanna Sarkeala, secretary
Office Manager, Finnish Olympic Committee

Finnish Olympic Winner's Association

The Board

Pertti Ukkola, chairman
Olympic Winner
1976 Montreal; Greco-Roman wrestling 57 kg
Veikko Kankkonen
Olympic Winner
1964 Innsbruck; ski jumping
Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi
Olympic Winner
1984 Sarajevo; cross-country skiing, W 5 km, 10 km, 20 km
Mikko Kolehmainen
Olympic Winner
1992 Barcelona; canoeing, kayak singles, M 500 m
Juha Mieto
Olympic Winner
1976 Innsbruck; cross-country skiing, M 4 x 10 km
Tomi Poikolainen
Olympic Winner
1980 Moscow; archery
Marjut Rolig
Olympic Winner
1992 Albertville; cross-country skiing, W 5 km (Cl)
Päivi Kekäle, secretary
Financial Manager, Finnish Olympic Committee

Pro Olympia

The Pro Olympia was founded in May 1994. It is an association of collectors who collect various items in the Olympic theme.

The Pro Olympia is an unregistered association and does not collect any membership fee. Its purpose is to help and encourage its members in collecting of Olympic items and in this way make the Olympic ideal better known. The Association cooperates with similar national and international associations.

The Pro Olympia has carried out its objectives by arranging small-scale Olympic exhibitions. The first one was a small exhibition in connection with the 100th anniversary of the birth of Paavo Nurmi in 1997.

The materials to the exhibitions are mainly collected from the members. The exhibitions display medals, posters, postcards, pins, publications, photos, books, autographs, etc.