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Janne Korpi
* February 5, 1986 Vihti
178 cm, 71 kg
Present residence: Nummela
Club: Vihdin Lumilautailijat
Event: Halfpipe
Janne Korpi goes to his second Olympic Games. At the Turin Games of 2006 he was the youngest member of the Finnish halfpipe team. In 2007 Janne finished fourth in halfpipe and won bronze in big air at the FIS World Championships in Arosa, Switzerland. He secured selection to the Vancouver Games by winning a FIS World Cup halfpipe competition in Stoneham, Quebec in January 2010. Janne competes in two sports. His father Pekka is a legendary name in harness racing, and Janne is a talented driver himself. When his snowboarding days are over he intends to pursue his career at the trotting tracks.
Previous Olympic Games:
2006 halfpipe 20th.
Other achievements:
2005 WJCh halfpipe gold.
2007 WCh halfpipe 4th, big air bronze.
FIS World Cup: 7 wins (3 halfpipe, 4 big air).
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Markku Koski
* October 15, 1981 Ylivieska
181 cm, 73 kg
Present residence: Helsinki
Club: Snowboard Junkies, Sievi
Event: Halfpipe
Markku Koski made history at the Turin Games of 2006: his bronze in halfpipe was the first Finnish Olympic medal in snowboard. In Vancouver he will be the elder statesman of the Finnish halfpipe team, going to his third Olympic Games. Markku hails from the flattest part of a flat country, but that did not prevent him from reaping success in snowboarding already in his junior years. In 2009 he won gold in big air at the FIS World Championships in Gangwon, Korea. Markku’s favourite summer pursuits are tennis, swimming and volleyball.
Previous Olympic Games:
2002 halfpipe 8th.
2006 halfpipe bronze.
Other achievements:
1997 WJCh (ISF) halfpipe gold.
1998 WJCh (ISF) halfpipe gold.
1999 WCh (ISF) halfpipe bronze.
2001 WCh halfpipe 69th.
2003 WCh halfpipe 27th.
2007 WCh halfpipe 9th.
2009 WCh halfpipe 6th, big air gold.
FIS World Cup: 2 wins in halfpipe.
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Markus Malin
* May 28, 1987 Lahti
176 cm, 66 kg
Present residence: Lahti
Club: Levi Ski Club
Event: Halfpipe
Markus Malin has been one of the most consistent performers in both TTR and FIS circuits in the Olympic season. In January 2010 he has finished fourth at the TTR event in Davos and fifth at the European Open in Laax. In spite of his young age he has been around for better part of the decade, after first competing at the World Junior Championships at the age of 14. Three years later he won gold in the same event. Outside snowboarding Markus likes to relax doing other kinds of sport or playing the guitar.
Achievements:
2004 WJCh halfpipe gold.
2006 WJCh halfpipe silver.
2007 WCh halfpipe 22nd.
2009 WCh halfpipe 24th.
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Peetu Piiroinen
* February 15, 1988 Hyvinkää
165 cm, 60 kg
Present residence: Hyvinkää
Club: Sputnik Snowboarders, Hyvinkää
Event: Halfpipe
Peetu Piiroinen’s consistent performances in the 2008/09 season earned him the overall championship of the Ticket to Ride tour. He duly became the first snowboarder to be selected to the Finnish team in Vancouver, where he will make his Olympic debut. The Olympic season has also started well: in January Peetu won the TTR European Open halfpipe event in Laax. Peetu hails from Hyvinkää in southern Finland. His younger brother Petja is also a top snowboarder and member of the Finnish junior national team. Peetu’s favourite non-snow pastimes are skateboarding, golf and tennis.
Achievements:
2006 WJCh halfpipe bronze.
2007 WCh halfpipe 37th, big air 6th.
FIS World Cup: 5 wins (1 halfpipe, 4 big air). Overall champion in big air in 2006/07.
TTR Tour: Overall champion in 2008/09.
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Ilona Ruotsalainen
* January 8, 1981 Jyväskylä
168 cm, 63 kg
Present residence: Jyväskylä
Club: Jyväskylän Hiihtoseura
Event: Parallel giant slalom
Ilona Ruotsalainen goes to her first Olympic Games after narrowly missing selection for the Turin Games four years ago. She can already look back to a long career in snowboarding, having previously taken part at five World Championships. Ilona’s best World Cup results in parallel giant slalom are eighth places at Stoneham in 2007 and La Molina in 2008. In the non-Olympic parallel slalom event she has reached a World Cup podium, finishing second in Landgraaf 2004.
Achievements:
2001 WCh PGS 46th, GS 34th, PS 49th.
2003 WCh PGS 22nd, PS 15th.
2005 WCh PGS 26th, PS 22nd.
2007 WCh PGS 18th, PS 16th.
2009 WCh PGS 18th, PS 28th.
