The ex-spouse believes that what Väisänen told is true.
Elina Kiikko and Ilkka Kanerva were together for more than 20 years. Inka Soveri
Former editor-in-chief of Suomen Tietotoimisto Kari Väisänen said at the Finnish Newspaper Association’s (SSL) event in March Ilkka Kanervan to have been one of the sources of STT’s doping news.
About Väisänen’s revelation news on Wednesday Länsiväylä.
Väisänen had learned from Kanerva about the blood transfusion given to a Finnish skier at the World Championships in Trondheim in 1997. It was Jari Räsänen.
Kanerva died of cancer in April 2022.
Kiikko didn’t know
Kererva’s long-term spouse Elina Kiikko tells IL that the matter never came to his attention.
– Just a moment ago I saw this [uutisen]and this came as new information to me. We hadn’t talked about him being the source, says Kiikko.
Kanerva, who had a track and field background, was an enthusiastic sportsman. In addition to his career as a politician, he served, among other things, as vice-chairman of the Finnish Olympic Committee and as a board member of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
Even though Kanerva kept her doping speech a secret until the end, Kiikko still considers the matter to be true.
She cites the man’s unwavering support for clean sports as the reason.
– That’s why I can believe that this may very well be true.
The relationship between Kiiko and Kanerva began in 1999, when Räsänen’s case was still being discussed in court.
– Of course we talked about this doping scandal in itself, but not about it [lähteenä olemisesta]. This was a matter of its nature, such a delicate matter, that’s why he didn’t mention it, Kiikko believes.
