Finnish heptathlete Saga Vanninen changes coaches, surprising expert

Finnish heptathlon star Saga Vanninen has switched coaches, ending her nearly two-year stint with Olympic champion Erki Nool. The 23-year-old athlete will now train with Jarno Koivunen's team.

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Not so much that Vanninen and Nool parted ways, but the new coaching team. I had no idea about that.

This development came as a surprise to athletics expert Lauri Hollo. "Not so much that Vanninen and Nool parted ways, but the new coaching team. I had no idea about that," Hollo stated, adding that Vanninen had previously worked with only a single coach.

Koivunen is known for coaching pole vault star Wilma Heltelä. Hollo believes a team approach can benefit Vanninen, noting that "coaching is certainly easier to implement when a team is created, with a clear leader like Koivunen is now." However, he also cautioned about the pressure on the new setup, saying, "Now we need to make this work. We haven't had many talents like Vanninen throughout history. If this is messed up, it will likely be remembered for a long time."

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Coaching is certainly easier to implement when a team is created, with a clear leader like Koivunen is now.

Vanninen's career is still in its early stages, but Hollo stressed the need for progress. "There is time, but the years fly by quickly if things don't start working. And you can't change coaches every year." The coaching change also means Vanninen will move from Tampere to Turku, a move Hollo finds noteworthy. "Saga is from Tampere and is moving to Turku, there's plenty to write about there," he quipped, acknowledging that top-tier coaches for her discipline are not available in Tampere.

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Now we need to make this work. We haven't had many talents like Vanninen throughout history. If this is messed up, it will likely be remembered for a long time.

Under Nool, Vanninen won European and World Championship gold medals in the pentathlon indoors. Last year, she secured the European U23 Championship title in the heptathlon and finished seventh at the World Championships. Hollo felt the relatively quick change, after less than two years, was necessary. "Athletics is a sport where you can't constantly change coaches and coaching methods. Stability is important, but overall, this might have been the right decision now, given how the summer and indoor season already went awry." Vanninen ended her previous season early due to pain, withdrawing from a competition in May after five events. Hollo suggested that while injury played a role, it didn't explain everything, noting a loss of explosiveness and power output that was characteristic of her performance.

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Saga is from Tampere and is moving to Turku, there's plenty to write about there.