Kerttu Niskanen ends skiing career as brother Iivo recalls their biggest moments

Kerttu Niskanen’s retirement surprised some observers because the 38-year-old had returned to Finland’s national-team training group for the summer. Her younger brother Iivo Niskanen said he already knew she had been considering the decision.

“I knew Kerttu had been thinking about such a decision. It is never an easy decision to stop,” Iivo said. He also recalled that a leg problem affected her late in the previous season, including at Holmenkollen and other races.

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I knew Kerttu had been thinking about such a decision. It is never an easy decision to stop.

Niskanen’s final competition came in the 50-kilometre freestyle World Cup race at Holmenkollen in March 2026, where she finished 32nd. Her last individual World Cup podium came in Cognes in February 2025.

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Kerttu has been able to ski at a really high level for an exceptionally long time. I have watched from the side in recent years as Kerttu has kept improving. You can only admire it.

Her peak came at the Beijing Olympics in 2022, where she won silver in the 10-kilometre classic race and bronze in the 30-kilometre freestyle event. She lost the classic-race gold medal to Therese Johaug by 0.4 seconds. Niskanen won seven medals at senior championships in total, including two individual medals.

Iivo said one of his strongest memories was Lenzerheide on December 29, 2021, when the siblings both won on the same day. He also remembered watching Kerttu’s Beijing races from a hotel room. At the 2014 Sochi Olympics, both siblings won Olympic medals in the team sprint on the same day. Kerttu made her senior international championship debut in 2011 and became a permanent member of Finland’s national team, reaching her strongest level after turning 30.

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We won on the same day then. That was great.