Kerttu Niskanen retires - a remarkable 20-year journey comes to an end

After an extraordinary 20 years as a professional athlete, Kerttu Niskanen has decided to bring her competitive Cross-Country skiing career to an end.

“It is time to bring this wonderful journey as a professional athlete to an end,” Niskanen wrote in announcing her retirement.

Looking back on two decades in the sport, Niskanen reflects on a journey filled with victories, celebrations, experiences, growth, challenges and disappointments – everything that competitive sport brings.

From her World Cup debut in Kuusamo in 2007 to her final Olympic appearance at Milano Cortina 2026, Niskanen has been one of the most consistent and respected athletes of her generation. Her final World Cup race came in the iconic 50km at Holmenkollen in March 2026, bringing the curtain down on an extraordinary World Cup journey.

Her career statistics tell an impressive story. Niskanen made 357 World Cup starts, stood on the podium 36 times and claimed nine individual World Cup victories. On the biggest stage, she collected four Olympic medals – three silver and one bronze – as well as two World Championship bronze medals.

But Niskanen's impact on Cross-Country skiing goes far beyond the numbers.

For almost two decades, she was a familiar presence at the front of the World Cup field and became one of the great specialists of classic skiing. Her determination, endurance and ability to perform under pressure made her a formidable competitor and a highly respected athlete.

The Olympic Games provided some of the defining moments of her career. At Sochi 2014, Niskanen won silver in both the team sprint and the relay. At Beijing 2022, she added two more Olympic medals, taking silver in the 10km classic and bronze in the mass start.

Her longevity was once again on display at Milano Cortina 2026. At her fourth Olympic Games, Niskanen finished fifth in the skiathlon and seventh in the 50km classic, before helping Finland to bronze in the women's relay.

Her final years at the highest level were a fitting reflection of the career as a whole: determined, competitive and still capable of challenging the world's best.

Niskanen also takes a moment in her retirement announcement to thank the people who have shared the journey with her, highlighting the importance of her family, close ones, partners, teammates and supporters. She gives a special thanks to her husband and coach Juho, who she says shared this life with her and coached her through the best years of her career.

For Finnish cross-country skiing, and for the wider international skiing community, the departure of such a familiar figure marks the end of an important era.

For 20 years, Kerttu Niskanen gave her passion, determination and commitment to Cross-Country skiing. She leaves the sport with an exceptional collection of results and, just as importantly, the respect of her fellow athletes and fans around the world.

From the entire FIS Cross-Country family:

Kiitos, Kerttu.

Enjoy the next chapter.