Finnish Female Sportspersons

Eva Wahlstrom is a Finnish retired boxer who held the WBC super-featherweight title for nearly five years before losing her title to Terri Harper. She also represented her country at the European Championships where she won silver medals in 2004 and 2005.

Finnish swimmer Emilia Pikkarainen holds national records in several categories, such as the 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly. A 3-time Olympian, she was 15 when she participated in her first Olympic games. She was previously married to Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas, while her elder brother too is a competitive swimmer.

American-Finnish skateboarder Lizzie Armanto is not just a Nitro World Games gold medal winner but also has an X Games silver medal in her kitty. She was part of the Finnish national team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was also the first female skater to ride the Loop ramp successfully.

Starting her career as a cross-country skier, Finnish athlete Kaisa Makarainen stepped into biathlon at age 20. Apart from being a 3-time Olympian, she has also been a World Champion and a 3-time World Cup winner. She is known for her speed in both shooting and skiing.

A radiology nurse, Ritva Elomaa made her name as a successful bodybuilder. An IFBB Hall of Famer, she was the only non-American to be named Ms. Olympia till 2000. She also had a stint as a pop singer and was later elected to the Finnish parliament as part of the Finns Party.

Sari Essayah is a Finnish former athlete who specialized in race walking. A former European champion and world champion in the 10,000 metres event, Essayah created seven national records during her athletic career. After retiring from sports, Sari Essayah became a politician and is currently serving as the president of the Christian Democrats party.

Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi is a Finnish retired cross-country skier. She is best known for winning three gold medals and one bronze medal at the 1984 Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo where she was the most successful athlete. She also won bronze medals at the 1988 and 1994 Winter Olympic Games. In 1989, Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi was honored with the prestigious Holmenkollen medal.  

Manuela Bosco is a Finnish actress and retired athlete who specialized in hurdling. As a hurdler, she is best known for representing Finland at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. As an actress, Manuela Bosco is best known for her portrayal of Nadia Rapaccini in the popular TV series Nymphs.

Tanja Poutiainen is a Finnish former alpine ski racer who specialized in the giant slalom and slalom events. She is best known for winning a silver medal at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino. Tanja Poutiainen also won a couple of silver medals at the 2005 World Championships.   

Sara Mustonen was a Finnish alpine skier. In 1977, Mustonen won the gold medal in the slalom event, becoming the youngest skier to win the prestigious Finnish alpine ski championship title at age 14. Sara Mustonen went on to win 25 medals in alpine ski championships between 1975 and 1979. She died in a skiing accident at age 16.

Born to a Finnish mother and a Moroccan father, football sensation Nora Heroum started training in football with her older brother. Starting her youth career with FC Viikingit, she later played for clubs such as Brescia and Milan. She has also represented the Finnish national team.

Retired Finnish figure skater Beata Papp was naturally drawn to the sport, being the daughter of a figure skating coach. She is a Finnish Championship medal holder. She later moved to Canada and continued with her skating career till her retirement. She is married to Finnish actor Mikko Leppilampi.

Born and raised in Denmark, Finnish-Danish ice hockey sensation Michelle Karvinen began her youth career with the Danish club Rødovre SIK, but later switched to the Finnish national team. She has 6 World Championship medals, including a silver, and 3 Olympic bronze medals in her kitty.

Nastassia Kinnunen is a Finnish cross-country skier and biathlete. Born in Haradok, Soviet Union, Kinnunen represented Belarus in international competitions. In 2017, she moved to Finland and was granted Finnish citizenship in 2020. Nastassia Kinnunen has competed in popular events like Winter Olympics and FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.

Finnish former alpine skier Sanni Leinonen was placed 7th in the slalom at the Maribor World Cup, which was her best result. She also represented her country in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Apart from giant slalom, she also competes in super combined and super g.