Cross-country skier Perttu Hyvärinen appeared for interviews at the World Championships in Planica on Friday, holding a personal sponsor product. That started quite a ski debate.
- Commercial director Jari-Pekka Jouppi used harsh language.
- Cross-country skier Perttu Hyvärinen broke the rules and was fined three tons.
- Skiing circles have wondered about Joup’s reaction.
Skier Perttu Hyvärinen’s supporters and the national team management have verbally clashed after Hyvärinen appeared after Friday’s World Cup combined competition in the interview area in Planica with a personal sponsor’s product in hand.
It was an illegal trick, and Hyväris faces a fine of three thousand euros imposed by the union for breach of contract.
A skier’s manager, a former volleyball great who is always in the media Olli-Pekka “Lelu” Ojansivu offset the burgeoning financial loss by auctioning off the skier’s sweaty race outfit.
The Skiing Federation, on the other hand, was upset about this. Its commercial director Jari-Pekka Jouppi bewitched Ojansivu, who, in his opinion, sold the property of the Ski Association.
– Hell, how did he sell it when it is the property of the Ski Association? It’s a bit the same if I told you that I’ve sold your car: “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it earlier, but would you mind giving me the keys, because I’ve sold it on”, Jouppi fired in an interview with Iltalehti.
The rattling of the saber seems to continue even now.
Perttu Hyvärinen brought his personal sponsor product in front of the media at the World Championships on Friday, which broke the rules. The cross-country skier was fined 3,000 euros for his mistake and the matter is still being discussed in public. PASI LEISMA
Jouppi, the ski association’s commercial director, naturally has to speak “on behalf of” in these situations. Still, many snow sports insiders are a little surprised by the harshness of the verbals.
At the same time, the circles laugh a little that Jouppi has suddenly forgotten his mistakes. Last spring, the commercial director promised the ski jumpers that they would be allowed to sell the best and most profitable spot, the ski advertising spot, to their own partners.
Many top jumpers did this, until the commercial director announced at the summer manager’s days, as if in passing, that the advertising spot in question might go to the hill team’s new main sponsor.
And that’s how it went, all the jumpers have the advertisement of the Austrian company IDM on their work equipment.
Embarrassing cancellations
Jari-Pekka Jouppi, commercial director of the Ski Association, is involved in many. TOMI NATRI / AOP
The situation was extremely embarrassing for the jumpers and their lawyers. They had to cancel already made lucrative cooperation agreements, which, as you know, do not grow on every branch of the tree in the area of ski jumping.
– The Ski Association compensates for grabbing the best spot with three clearly worse advertising spots in a jumpsuit and jacket. They were also talked about for a long time, the Skiing Federation did not automatically give them to its athletes, Iltalehti’s source says.
The ski advertising spot has belonged to jumpers for years, while the sale of the helmet advertising spot belongs to the Ski Federation.
A decision on the fine was made on Monday – maybe. Hyvärinen published a humorous photo together with Joupi on her Instagram account.
– The third and at the same time the last part of the thriller-like comedy and the closing speech. The End, Hyvärinen wrote.
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Deductible 750 euros
Last fall, there were other handwringings between the ski association and the athletes. Athletes of all sports received the athlete contract proposal to read exceptionally late, right on the eve of the start of the World Cup seasons.
Usually, the athlete contract is approved in the summer. The old one ends at the end of May.
This was not Joup’s fault.
In addition, a deductible amount of 750 euros remained in the athlete contracts. Its athletes will have to pay at the end of March, “unless the Ski Federation’s financial situation improves significantly”.
Monday was a break day in Planica.
The World Cup skiing continues on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. with the women’s freestyle 10 km time trial. Jasmi Joensuu, Kerttu Niskanen, Eveliina Piippo and Krista Pärmäkoski represent Finland.