An accident happened in the cross-country skier’s family, which started a vicious cycle.
The 2025–26 season has been particularly difficult for cross-country skier Anne Kyllöne. Jussi Saarinen
Cross-country skier Anne Kyllönen i.e. very challenging times last spring.
– There was a serious accident in the family. It increased my mental burden, and I didn’t realize how burdened I was, Kyllönen describes.
Due to the accident, Kyllönen, who lived in Jyväskylä, had to take full responsibility for his parents’ company, which operates in the field of retail and wholesale of berries and vegetables. The company operates in the Kajaani region.
– It was a difficult time, the skier sighs.
– The situation has taken a turn for the better, but it cannot be said that we are still completely on the winning side, he adds.
The entire business is being transferred to Kyllönen’s account.
– It’s hard to say whether it’s time for it already this year. But at least business responsibility and roles are my tasks.
Arrhythmias
Anne Kyllönen was sixth on Saturday at the Finnish Cup in Tampere. Jussi Saarinen
Running a business and combining the everyday training of a professional athlete was quite a piece of cake. The 38-year-old conkar is not part of the Ski Association’s A national team.
– I did a long high-altitude camp, and I didn’t notice that my total load was too great.
When the 2025–26 competition season started in November, Kyllönen noticed that he was in trouble.
– Even though the sensations were strange, I thought it was a stutter from the training season, and that’s why it doesn’t work, he describes.
– Now you can say that you should have hit the brakes then, he adds.
In the opening of the MC season in Ruka, the results were places 55 and 36. The road took B level to the Scandinavian Cup in Östersund, where places 43 and 25 were recorded in the list of results.
Heart rate problems popped up.
– And the sensations of arrhythmia, Kyllönen adds.
The skier describes his heart rate problems as follows:
– Night heart rates have been really high and heart rate variability really low. There have been quite big problems throughout the season.
The problem turned out to be overfit.
– As classic as can be, the skier announces.
The need to compete
Anne Kyllönen debuted in the World Cup in 2007. Photo from 2011. PASI STOVE LAND/IL
Vantaa, Kuopio and Tampere.
Kyllönen has put a number tag on his chest in January, even after being diagnosed with overfitness.
– Some ask why I am skiing in this situation. Ylikunto doesn’t get better just by lying on the couch. I don’t do any intensive exercises at the moment. The races are exhausting for the respiratory and circulatory system.
Kainuulaiskasvatti loves to compete. That’s why he has continued his career for so long.
– Lounging on the couch or going on vacation to the south would be options, but I feel that the games are the most mentally and physically restorative for me.
On Saturday, the Kainuu Ski Club’s woman was sixth in the 15-kilometer traditional style intermediate start race of the Finnish Cup in Tampere. He bowed to the one who won the race Hilla Niemelä 37.5 seconds.
7/8 Finnish female skiers selected for the Olympic Games were missing from Mittelö. Just a sprinter Amanda Saari was involved.
– It came quite steadily, so a fairly intact race.
On the final straight
Krista Pärmäkoski (left), Kerttu Niskanen, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen and Anne Kyllönen ski relay silver at the 2014 Olympic Games. Kari Kuukka
The Finn has skied eight Olympic and 17 World Championship starts in his career. Šotsi’s 2014 relay Olympic silver is in the trophy cabinet.
In the World Cup, there are 369 starts and 17 ball places, when team competitions are also included. The most recent personal mc ball position is from January 2017 and the most recent top-ten ranking is from November 2024.
– I haven’t decided yet if I will quit after this season.
It is clear that the skiing career is coming to an end.
– Combining skiing and business is not easy. You have to think about the equation. Such results do not motivate, but the most important thing is to get your own health in balance. Now we are so far from our maximum capacity.
The goal in February was to culminate the career with a third individual Olympic performance.
– I am a fanatical follower of biathlon, so I definitely watch the Olympic starts of that sport on TV. Shouldn’t cross-country skiing also be followed?
