Olli Ohtonen will take up his post on April 1, 2026, as Finland’s first professor of winter sports at the Department of Sports Technology in Vuokatti at the University of Jyväskylä. The professorship will strengthen collaboration between research and elite sports and is based on a partnership with the Finnish Olympic Committee.

The goal is to use a research-based approach to develop training, technique, and performance in Finnish elite sports.

“In Vuokatti, we operate according to the principle ‘From Science to Practice,’ which means we combine research with practical development. The latest findings and insights directly enhance competitiveness in elite winter sports,” explains LitT Olli Ohtonen.

Science-based solutions are quickly put into practice in Vuokatti, where the University of Jyväskylä’s Department of Sports Science and the Vuokatti-Ruka Olympic Training Center work closely together under one roof.

The Olympic Committee supports research-based development

The Finnish Olympic Committee’s support for the professorship in the workplace is in line with its new strategy, which focuses on sports and elite sports.

– The professorship in the workplace reinforces the excellent work being done in winter sports in the Vuokatti-Ruka region and enables the expansion of R&D activities to encompass all of Finnish elite sports. Ohtonen is both a researcher and a coach, and we want to make greater use of his expertise, says Janne Hänninen, Director of Elite Sports at the Olympic Committee.

– This industry-linked professorship further strengthens the role of JYU-Vuokatti and the Faculty of Sport Sciences in Finnish sports, and the benefits are undoubtedly mutual, says Vesa Linnamo, dean of the Faculty of Sport Sciences.

The municipality of Sotkamo and the city of Kuusamo are also contributing to the funding of the professorship.

Olli Ohtonen is a former member of the national cross-country skiing team. His competitive career ended during the 2009–2010 season, but he has since continued as a passionate recreational skier. After his athletic career, Ohtonen has worked in sports science and earned his Ph.D. in sports science from the University of Jyväskylä’s Sports Technology Unit in Vuokatti in 2019. In his dissertation, he studied the biomechanics of skating at different speeds and under various fatigue conditions.

Ohtonen served as the sprint coach for Finland’s national cross-country skiing team from 2013 to 2018 and coached Olympic gold medalist Iivo Niskanen from 2013 to 2025. He has been named Coach of the Year in Finland twice (2017, 2018).

At the University of Jyväskylä, an expert or professional who is currently active or has previously been active in civil society, academia, the business sector, or the public sector may be appointed as a Professor of Professional Practice. The holder of this position strengthens the university’s ties to society and evaluates and develops this area. In addition, the Industry Professor builds networks between the university and the business community and brings current practical knowledge from the workplace to the university community, which can be utilized in teaching and research. The Industry Professor may teach in their own field of expertise.

For more information:

Olli Ohtonen, olli.ohtonen@jyu.fi
+358 50 407 7501

Janne Hänninen, janne.hanninen@olympiakomitea.fi
+358 40 55 333 88