Finland`s team to the Senior World Championships.
Janette Ylisoini
Minni Hormavirta
Sonja Koponen
Hanno Keskitalo
Hanno´s photo by: Hookgrip and everyone else Tytti Becker/Fygstermedia.
Finland Delivers Strong Performance at the Junior & U23 European Championships
The Junior & U23 European Weightlifting Championships have come to an end, and Team Finland can be proud of its performances throughout the competition. Several Finnish lifters produced strong results and valuable international experience against Europe's best young athletes. Competition updates throughout the event highlighted a number of strong Finnish performances. [fygstermedia.com]
Among the biggest highlights was Janette Ylisoini, who successfully defended her title and remained the Junior European Champion. Janette dominated her category by winning three gold medals, once again proving that she belongs among the very best young weightlifters in Europe.
*Despite winning three gold medals, Ylisoini expected even stronger results from herself.
“I was disappointed with my competition results because the lifts felt light, and we came here aiming for bigger numbers. However, our peak condition has been planned for the World Championships in China. We have been preparing for them for several months, and the goal there is to fully realize my true performance level.” Ylisoini said.
*Coach Juha Kukkonen emphasized that the European Championships were an important milestone on the way to the season's main goal.
“We came here aiming for the win, and as the pre-event favorite, the gold medal was the only objective. We are still in the middle of our training phase, and in just over two weeks the Senior World Championships in China await us. They are the main target of the season,” Kukkonen said.
According to Kukkonen, Ylisoini has now won a total of 15 European Championship gold medals during her career.
Another major success story came from Minni Hormavirta, who captured the first Junior European Championship medals of her career. Minni battled her way to clean & jerk bronze and total bronze, earning a place on the podium and establishing herself as the third-best junior lifter in Europe in her weight class. It was an important breakthrough performance and another encouraging sign for the future of Finnish weightlifting.
Hormavirta was pleased with her medal haul after the competition, although she felt there was still room for improvement in the snatch.
*“I’m feeling good! I was a little disappointed that the snatch bronze came from a bumped-up lift. Still, it’s great to reach the podium right away in a new age category,” Hormavirta said.
Hormavirta’s personal coach, Laura Niemelä, was especially pleased that the goals set for the competition were achieved and even exceeded.
*“Our target was exactly these two medals, so in that sense the competition went very well. The athletes who finished ahead of her are two years older, however. The snatch bronze was also secured with a bumped-up attempt, which was unfortunate. Even so, it was surprising and very encouraging,” Niemelä explained.
Niemelä also highlighted the training objectives and the athlete’s continued development.
*“The goal is to steadily increase the opening weights and to make triple-digit snatches a consistent standard. We succeeded in that as well.”
Hormavirta’s season now continues toward its next major goal. The upcoming World Championships in China will also mark the beginning of the qualification campaign for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
*“Next, we will continue building form for the World Championships in China in a few weeks’ time. That is also where the road to LA28 qualification begins,” Niemelä said.
One of the highlights for Team Finland as a whole was the performance of our women's team in the team competition. Finland finished 6th overall, which, to the best of my understanding, is the highest placement ever achieved by a Finnish women's team at these championships. It is a significant milestone and a strong indication that Finnish women's weightlifting continues to move forward.
Youth national team coach Rebin Rezazadeh was pleased with the athlete's performance and the achievement of the team's objectives.
*“We accomplished exactly what we set out to achieve, and the medal came alongside personal records in the clean and jerk. The competition took place early in the morning, so considering that, the result was extremely successful,” Rezazadeh said.
*(Source: Finnish weightlifting federation) https://painonnosto.fi/suomen-em-kisaraportti-2026/
Eyes Turn Toward the Senior World Championships
With the European Championships now behind us, attention shifts to the upcoming Senior World Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo, China.
Finland will be represented by four athletes:
- Sonja Koponen (W49 kg)
- Janette Ylisoini (W77 kg)
- Minni Hormavirta (W86 kg)
- Hanno Keskitalo (M110+ kg)
There is plenty of excitement surrounding the Finnish team, especially Janette Ylisoini, who came agonizingly close to a medal at last year's World Championships. This year she will once again be chasing her first senior World Championship medal. At the same time, the road toward Los Angeles 2028 is beginning, making this competition an important step in her Olympic journey.
Follow the Worlds With Me
As always, I will be providing live competition reports from the World Championships along with preview videos covering the athletes, entry lists, medal battles, and what to expect from Team Finland. Worlds start 27.10 and livestream coverage from Weightlifting House.
Make sure to stay tuned to my channels and website so you don't miss any of the coverage from Ningbo. The World Championships are shaping up to be an exciting competition, and Finnish weightlifting has every reason to be optimistic heading into the event.
See you when the Worlds begin!
About the Author: Fygstermedia provides English-language reporting on Finnish weightlifting to increase global awareness of Finnish athletes and the sport in Finland.