Kurikka-born biathlete Jonni Mukkala is training in the Finnish national A-team for the upcoming season. The LICO-sponsored young talent’s goal is to ski among the top in the World Cup and at the Winter Olympics in 2026.
Jonni Mukkala, originally from Kurikka, started his career in biathlon at the age of 14. He had a background in skiing but not in shooting. The young athlete, who particularly enjoyed cross-country skiing, immediately became hooked on biathlon after trying the sport.
“Biathlon is exciting because everything can change at the last moment in the competition. In addition, the sport combines raw endurance sport, cross-country skiing, and accuracy and concentration of shooting,” Mukkala describes.
Mukkala moved to Kontiolahti in North Karelia in pursuit of excellent training conditions. Kontiolahti hosts Finland’s only Biathlon World Cup stadium and offers support and coaching from the Sports Academy and the national team. Kontiolahti is also a reliably snowy training location, with ski tracks typically opening around mid-October.
Intense training and goals for the upcoming season
A professional athlete’s week consists almost entirely of training, leaving little room for leisure. Training occurs six days a week in the mornings and afternoons, with shooting practice added to the physical workouts. The strict and, at times, quite demanding training schedule doesn’t bother Mukkala — instead, the desire to succeed and improve as an athlete motivates him to train.
“During the competition season, travelling abroad and seeing what the world’s top athletes are doing is fantastic. My best performance so far has been an eighth-place finish in the IBU Cup in biathlon, and my goal is to achieve similar results in the World Cup,” Mukkala envisions.
Support from the sponsors is crucial
Since 2023, Mukkala’s main sponsor has been LICO. Mukkala is grateful that the sponsorship agreement has been extended for the next two seasons.
“LICO’s support is important as it enables me to pursue my professional career fully. Also, it feels great to have a sponsor from Kurikka, a company with a fantastic team spirit and a sports-minded CEO. With this foundation, I am ready to continue towards the World Cup and hopefully the next Winter Olympics,” Mukkala concludes.
