Endurance Sports in Finland

OLLI-PEKKA KÄRKKÄINEN, MSC HIGH PERFORMANCE COORDINATOR, ENDURANCE SPORTS FINNISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE/HIGH PERFORMANCE UNIT

1 © OPK/PAJULAHTI 261117 Seeking Truth? Understanding?

–1984 Own sports career, orienteering. Did not understand.

1980–88 Studies. Got the frightening idea “I do not understand”.

1984–89 Go Big. Finnish Orienteering Federation, Head Coach. Some understanding?

1990 Go Big. IFK Gothenburg, coach. The Swedes did not understand?

1991–97 Go Big. Danish Orienteering Federation, Head Coach. Finally understood something?

1998 Go Home. Writing some books, rest, balance.

1999–2003 Go Big. Danish Athletics Federation, Head Coach. More depth, more hardness.

2003–2008 Go Big. Dullstroom, South Africa, Altitude Training Centre. Distance and view.

2008–2013 Go Home. LIKES Research Center. Consciousness.

2013– Go Big. Finnish Olympic Committee, High Performance Unit. And so?

3 © OPK/PAJULAHTI 261117 Mission Energize Finland through physical activity and sport

Vision The most physically active nation in the world and the most successful Nordic country

Values Together With | Joy | Respect | Accountability | Excellence

4 © OPK/PAJULAHTI 261117 High Performance Unit

Sport Academy Program Support for athletes’ everyday training Improves athletes’ and coaches’ daily work in cooperation with sport academies and training centers around the country

Top Phase Program Supports and spars athletes and sport organizations for better performance Directs financial and expert resources to athletes and sport organizations through the development and streamlining system

Top Games Team Manages the preparation, selection and leadership of teams to top international competitions Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, European Youth Olympic Festivals, European Games, Universiades

5 © OPK/PAJULAHTI 261117 Facing challenges.

6 © OPK/PAJULAHTI 261117 Action 1. Versatile training & play

Involvement in diverse sports during childhood? What about early specialization in endurance sports?

7 © OPK/PAJULAHTI 261117 [THE GREAT BRITISH MEDALIST PROJECT: REVIEW, NEARLY 300 REFERENCES] Development of the World’s Best Sporting Talent

1. THE PERFORMER – WHEN AND HOW TO IDENTIFY THE FUTURE STARS? • Birthdate: May affect but not in all sports. • Genetics: May influence and limit performance, but performance can not be predicted from genetic factors. Genetic selection methods vs. ethical and societal reasons? • Anthropometric and physiological factors: Important for performance. Talent selection with caution because of variation in biological maturation. • Psychological skills and motivational orientations: Psychological factors appear to be important contributors to the development of super-elite performance (e.g. motivation, confidence, perceived control, mental toughness, resilience, coping with adversity, resistance to ‘choking’, mental skills) • Personality traits : Super-elite athletes are conscientious, optimistic, hopeful and perfectionist. 8 © OPK/PAJULAHTI 261117 2. THE ENVIRONMENT – CLOSE LONG TERM SUPPORT NEEDED! • Birthplace: Small-to-medium communities provide favourable environments for developing athletes. Talent hotspots may exist • Support from parents, family, siblings and coaches: Super-elite athletes have benefitted from supportive families, coaches and networks during their development. • Athlete support programmes: Early success is a poor predictor for later super-elite success, and thus for early talent identification purposes. Super-elite success is mostly preceded by relatively late entry into organized support programmes.

3. PRACTICE, TRAINING AND PLAY – DOING MANY THINGS, LATE SPECIALIZATION • Volume of sport-specific practice and training: Super-elite performance develops from extensive deliberate practice, but the applicability of the 10 years/10,000 hours 'rule' to high-performance sport is limited. Play may also be relevant, as may implicit/automatic and incidental skill learning. • Early specialization vs. sampling and play: The key to reaching super-elite level may be involvement in diverse sports during childhood and appreciable amounts of sport-specific practice/training in late adolescence and adulthood.

“Talent is never enough. With few exceptions the best players are the hardest workers.” [MJ]

10 © OPK/PAJULAHTI 261117 Action 3. Creating Health

Aaron Antonovsky [1925 – 1994] Salutogenesis

WHO: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

11 © OPK/PAJULAHTI 261117 Action 4. Respect & resources Cooperation between endurance sports (13) BIATHLON ▪ CANOEING ▪ CROSS COUNTRY SKIING ▪ CYCLING ▪ DISTANCE RUNNING ▪ NORDIC COMBINED ▪ OLYMPIC ROWING ▪ ORIENTEERING ▪ RACE WALKING ▪ SKI ORIENTEERING ▪ SPEED SKATING ▪ SWIMMING ▪ TRIATHLON PAJULAHTI.COM • Open webinars & presentation documents • Some next steps?

Success is needed  respect and funding in Finnish sports • Social consensus, accepting excellence, widening skills, creating knowledge, …

75 days to PyeongChang XXIII Winter Olympic Games opening!

12 © OPK/PAJULAHTI 261117 CANOEING CYCLING DISTANCE RUNNING OLYMPIC ROWING ORIENTEERING RACE WALKING SPEED SKATING SWIMMING TRIATHLON

NORDIC COMBINED SKI ORIENTEERING BIATHLON CROSS COUNTRY SKIING 13 © OPK/PAJULAHTI 261117 Take Home Message – Young Athletes

• Remember play, training, and involvement in diverse sports during childhood and late adolescence!

• Being an athlete, what does it mean?

• Build up a strong health status!

• Do about the right things about the right time!

• The coach should grow up with the athlete!

Ask yourself and your athlete:

• Do you and your athlete understand the World Class requirements?

• What are the absolutely best in the World doing, and how? What are you and your athlete doing, and how?

• What are the Individual Key Success Factors?

• Draw the Road Map to success with regular indicators!