World’s Top Freestyle Skiers Open the Olympic Season in Levi – Finnish Talents Train in the Same World-Class Conditions
Olympic Training Center Levi has provided elite early-season conditions as an international training hub for freestyle skiers — offering Finnish young athletes a unique opportunity to train alongside the best in the world.
National teams from Sweden, Australia, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and the United States have been training in Levi – including reigning Olympic moguls champions Jakara Anthony (AUS) and Walter Wallberg (SWE). Finnish athletes Akseli Ahvenainen from Levi Ski Club and Next Generation program athletes Kai Lassila, Artturi Männistö, and Mikael Hakala have had the chance to train side by side with the world’s top performers.
“The importance of this training camp at this stage of the season is huge. The opportunity to train with the world’s best in high-quality conditions at home provides a concrete benchmark for where we stand right now. The plan is to continue training in Levi until the end of October, and in the coming weeks, top athletes from Korea, Japan, and the U.S. will also arrive. With training partners and conditions like these, our success this season certainly won’t depend on the lack of quality,” says Akseli Ahvenainen from Levi Ski Club.
The development of early-season freestyle conditions in Levi is part of the Finnish Olympic Committee’s training center collaboration, which aims to offer Finnish athletes international-level training opportunities within Finland. According to Lauri Lassila, Freestyle Coordinator at Levi Ski Resort, Levi currently provides the best conditions in the world — the result of extensive work to ensure elite athletes can train and prepare for the upcoming season. Collaboration with national teams from different countries will continue in the coming years, with ongoing efforts to further develop the facilities and operations.
“It has been a great pleasure and honor to welcome the world’s top athletes to train in Levi. Since the beginning of October, Levi has offered conditions that meet international standards and serve both the world’s best and the future stars of the sport,” says Lassila.
Swedish national team head coach Lasse Fahlen praised Levi’s conditions and their importance in his athletes’ Olympic season preparation.
“For the second year in a row, Levi has provided world-class conditions for Sweden’s A and B mogul teams. The athletes have been very impressed with both the training slope and jumps, as well as the other services that support training. It’s the perfect place to continue our road toward the Olympics,” Fahlen notes.
Training in Levi will continue intensively until November, with more teams from different countries joining in the coming weeks.
