Kaisa Mäkäräinen remembered her long-time national teammate and published a bunch of photos together.
At the end of the season, the Finnish national biathlon team celebrated the end of his career Mari Ederia.
Eder and Kaisa Mäkäräinen were the supporting forces of the women’s national team for a long time, and the two had time to become friends during numerous competition trips and camps. Mäkäräinen, who ended his biathlon career three years ago, posted pictures of his “long-time partner in crime” on Instagram.
In the pictures, Eder and Mäkäräinen are, for example, in competitions, at a mountain camp, on roller skis and at the award ceremony of the World Cup in Kontiolahti 2014, when the skiers had both reached the top three. Mäkäräinen won the sprint race and Eder was third.
Kaisa Mäkäräinen and Mari Eder (nee Laukkanen) were close to double victory in Kontiolahti in 2014. Mauri Ratilainen/AOP
In the last picture, we go back in time quite a bit. Posing next to Mäkäräinen is 20-year-old Eder, then Laukkanen, who was at the beginning of his career. The duo’s first joint World Cup race came in Antholz in 2007.
In connection with the publication, Mäkäräinen writes about Eder’s meaning to him.
– You know how important we were to each other. I saw your good and bad moments up close during the 13 years they spent on the same team, plus three additional years. What a rollercoaster!
– Thank you for everything, especially for our long conversations, which made the world a better place to be and live. I’m already looking forward to our next adventure together.
Eder responded to the publication with thanks.
– It was really quite a ride. Thanks for riding it with me. See you soon, Eder comments and reacts to the 2007 picture with smileys.
If you don’t see the Instagram post below, you can click open it here.