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Virpi Sarasvuo

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Virpi Sarasvuo
Country Finland
Full nameVirpi Katriina Sarasvuo
Born (1976-05-20) 20 May 1976 (age 48)
Kangasniemi, Finland
Height174 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Ski clubKangasniemen Kalske
World Cup career
Seasons14 – (1995, 1997–2001, 2003–2010)
Indiv. starts173
Indiv. podiums52
Indiv. wins27
Team starts32
Team podiums16
Team wins4
Overall titles2 – (2007, 2008)
Discipline titles3 – (2 DI, 1 SP)
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing  Finland
International nordic ski competitions
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 0 0 2
World Championships 6 1 1
Total 6 1 3
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Turin Team sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Vancouver 4 × 5 km relay
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2001 Lahti 5 km + 5 km
combined pursuit
Gold medal – first place 2007 Sapporo Team sprint
Gold medal – first place 2007 Sapporo 30 km classical
Gold medal – first place 2007 Sapporo 4 × 5 km relay
Gold medal – first place 2009 Liberec Team sprint
Gold medal – first place 2009 Liberec 4 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place 2005 Oberstdorf 30 km classical
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Sapporo Individual sprint
Disqualified 2001 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay
Junior World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Gällivare 4 × 5 km relay

Virpi Katriina Sarasvuo[1] (née Kuitunen, born 20 May 1976) is a Finnish former cross-country skier who competed from 1995 to 2010. She won a bronze medal in the team sprint event (with Aino-Kaisa Saarinen) at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and earned her best individual finish of fifth in the individual sprint event in those same games. Four years later in Vancouver, Kuitunen won another bronze, this time in the 4 × 5 km relay.[2]

Virpi Kuitunen leading the group in the quarterfinals of Tour de Ski, Prague 2007

Kuitunen has eight medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with six golds (2001: 5 km + 5 km combined pursuit, 2007: Team sprint, with Riitta-Liisa Roponen, 30 km, & 4 × 5 km; 2009: Team sprint, 4 × 5 km), one silver (2005: 30 km), one bronze (2007: Individual sprint). She also has thirty-four additional individual victories at various levels of various distances since 2000.

Kuitunen won the first ever Tour de Ski competition for women in 2006–07, winning over Norway's Marit Bjørgen by 1:17.5. She also won the overall 2006–07 Cross-Country Skiing World Cup, as well as the sprint World Cup the same season. In the season 2007–08 Kuitunen won the overall again.

Because of Kuitunen's successes in cross-country skiing in 2007, she was awarded Finnish Sportswoman of the Year. Kuitunen also won the Tour de Ski in 2008–09.

Virpi Kuitunen married Jari Sarasvuo on 16 July 2010.[1]

Doping controversy

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At the 2001 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Kuitunen was disqualified when she tested positive for hydroxyethyl starch, a banned blood plasma expander. This forced her to relinquish her silver medal earned in the 4 × 5 km and serve a two-year suspension that would not end until the 2003 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.

Cross-country skiing results

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All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[3]

Olympic Games

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  • 2 medals – (2 bronze)
 Year   Age   10 km 
 individual  		 15 km 
 skiathlon  		 30 km 
 mass start  		 Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay  		 Team 
 sprint 
2006 29 9 — DNF 5 7 Bronze
2010 33 — — 13 9 Bronze —

World Championships

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  • 8 medals – (6 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay  		 Team 
 sprint 
1999 22 35 — — — — — — —
2001 24 — — — Gold CNX[a] — DSQ —
2003 26 — — — 16 — — — —
2005 28 — 4 — — Silver 5 5 —
2007 30 — — — DNF Gold Bronze Gold Gold
2009 32 — 4 — 13 DNF — Gold Gold
a. 1 Cancelled due to extremely cold weather.

World Cup

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Season titles

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  • 5 titles – (2 overall, 2 distance, 1 sprint)
Season
Discipline
2007 Overall
Distance
Sprint
2008 Overall
Distance

Season standings

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 Season   Age  Discipline standings Ski Tour standings
Overall Distance Long Distance Middle Distance Sprint Tour de
Ski 		World Cup
Final
1995 18 NC — — — — — —
1997 20 NC — NC — — — —
1998 21 NC — NC — — — —
1999 22 81 — NC — 79 — —
2000 23 34 — 33 28 35 — —
2001 24 18 — — — NC — —
2003 26 23 — — — 20 — —
2004 27 6 7 — — 4 — —
2005 28 3 8 — — 2 — —
2006 29 6 7 — — 10 — —
2007 30 1 1 — — 1 1 —
2008 31 1 1 — — 3 2 1
2009 32 5 6 — — 11 1 DNF
2010 33 22 21 — — 20 DNF 28

Individual podiums

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  • 27 victories – (21 WC, 6 SWC)
  • 52 podiums – (44 WC, 8 SWC)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1 2000–01 17 December 2000 Italy Brusson, Italy 1.5 km Sprint F World Cup 3rd
2 10 February 2001 Estonia Otepää, Estonia 5 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
3 2002–03 11 March 2003 Norway Drammen, Norway 1.5 km Sprint C World Cup 3rd
4 2003–04 13 December 2003  Switzerland  Davos, Switzerland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
5 18 January 2004 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 1.2 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd
6 26 February 2004 Norway Drammen, Norway 1.5 km Sprint C World Cup 2nd
7 7 March 2004 Finland Lahti, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st
8 2004–05 20 November 2004 Sweden Gällivare, Sweden 10 km C Individual World Cup 3rd
9 14 December 2004 Italy Asiago, Italy 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 2nd
10 13 February 2005 Germany Reit im Winkl, Germany 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 1st
11 5 March 2005 Finland Lahti, Finland 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 3rd
12 9 March 2005 Norway Drammen, Norway 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 1st
13 12 March 2005 Norway Oslo, Norway 30 km C Individual World Cup 3rd
14 16 March 2005 Sweden Göteborg, Sweden 1.1 km Sprint F World Cup 3rd
15 2005–06 19 November 2005 Norway Beitostølen, Norway 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
16 26 November 2005 Finland Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
17 4 February 2006  Switzerland  Davos, Switzerland 1.0 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd
18 5 February 2006 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st
19 2006–07 25 November 2006 Finland Rukatunturi, Finland 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 2nd
20 26 November 2006 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st
21 13 December 2006 Italy Cogne, Italy 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st
22 16 December 2006 France La Clusaz, France 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 1st
23 3 January 2007 Germany Oberstdorf, Germany 10 km C Individual Stage World Cup 3rd
24 5 January 2007 Italy Asiago, Italy 1.2 km Sprint F Stage World Cup 1st
25 6 January 2007 Italy Cavalese, Italy 15 km C Mass Start Stage World Cup 1st
26 29 December 2006
– 7 January 2007		 Czech RepublicGermanyItaly Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 1st
27 27 January 2007 Estonia Otepää, Estonia 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
28 28 January 2007 1.0 km Sprint C World Cup 1st
29 3 February 2007  Switzerland  Davos, Switzerland 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st
30 10 March 2007 Finland Lahti, Finland 1.2 km Sprint F World Cup 1st
31 14 March 2007 Norway Drammen, Norway 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 1st
32 17 March 2007 Norway Oslo, Norway 30 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
33 21 March 2007 Sweden Stockholm, Sweden 1.1 km Sprint C World Cup 2nd
34 2007–08 8 December 2007  Switzerland  Davos, Switzerland 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st
35 28 December 2007 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 3.3 km C Individual Stage World Cup 1st
36 2 January 2008 10 km C Individual Stage World Cup 2nd
37 5 January 2008 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 10 km C Mass Start Stage World Cup 1st
38 28 December 2007
– 6 January 2008		 Czech RepublicItaly Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 2nd
39 9 February 2008 Estonia Otepää, Estonia 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st
40 10 February 2008 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 3rd
41 27 February 2008 Sweden Stockholm, Sweden 1.1 km Sprint C World Cup 1st
42 2 March 2008 Finland Lahti, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st
43 5 March 2008 Norway Drammen, Norway 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 1st
44 16 March 2008 Italy Bormio, Italy 10 km F Pursuit World Cup 1st
45 2008–09 30 November 2008 Finland Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
46 13 December 2008  Switzerland  Davos, Switzerland 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st
47 28 December 2008 Germany Oberhof, Germany 10 km C Pursuit Stage World Cup 1st
48 31 December 2008 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 9 km C Individual Stage World Cup 1st
49 3 January 2009 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 10 km C Mass Start Stage World Cup 1st
50 27 December 2008
– 4 January 2009		 GermanyCzech RepublicItaly Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 1st
51 24 January 2009 Estonia Otepää, Estonia 10 km C Individual World Cup 3rd
52 25 January 2009 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 3rd

Team podiums

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  • 4 victories – (4 RL)
  • 16 podiums – (13 RL, 3 TS)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)
1 2000–01 25 November 2000 Norway Beitostølen, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Manninen / Jauho / Varis
2 16 December 2000 Italy Santa Caterina, Italy 4 × 3 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Manninen / Salonen / Jauho
3  2003–04  11 January 2004 Estonia Otepää, Estonia 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Välimaa / Saarinen / Sarasoja-Lilja
4  2004–05  21 November 2004 Sweden Gällivare, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Välimaa / Saarinen / Roponen
5 15 December 2004 Italy Asiago, Italy 6 × 1.2 km Team Sprint C World Cup 2nd Saarinen
6 20 March 2005 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Saarinen / Välimaa / Roponen
7  2005–06  20 November 2005 Norway Beitostølen, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Saarinen / Välimaa / Roponen
8 15 January 2006 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Saarinen / Roponen / Varis
9  2006–07  29 October 2006 Germany Düsseldorf, Germany 6 × 0.8 km Team Sprint F World Cup 3rd Saarinen
10 19 November 2006 Sweden Gällivare, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Välimaa / Roponen / Saarinen
11 27 March 2007 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Manninen / Roponen / Saarinen
12  2007–08  28 October 2007 Germany Düsseldorf, Germany 6 × 0.8 km Team Sprint F World Cup 3rd Muranen
13 24 February 2008 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Saarinen / Roponen / Sarasoja-Lilja
14  2008–09  23 November 2008 Sweden Gällivare, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Muranen / Saarinen / Roponen
15 7 December 2008 France La Clusaz, France 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Muranen / Roponen / Saarinen
16  2009–10  22 November 2009 Norway Beitostølen, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Muranen / Roponen / Saarinen

Overall record

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Result Distance Races[a] Sprint Ski
tours 		Individual
events 		Team Events All events
≤ 5 km[b] ≤ 10 km[b] ≤ 15 km[b] ≤ 30 km[b] ≥ 30 km[b] Pursuit[c] Team sprint Relay[d]
1st place 1 12 2 – – 2 8 2 27 – 2 29
2nd place 1 6 – 1 – – 6 1 15 – 4 19
3rd place – 3 – 1 – – 6 – 10 2 4 16
Podiums 2 21 2 2 – 2 20 3 52 2 10 64
Top 10 5 29 8 4 – 11 39 3 99 5 16 120
Points 10 55 13 6 – 22 58 4 168 6 16 190
Others 3 1[e] 3 – – 2[e] 1 1[f] 11 – – 11
Starts 13 56 16 6 – 24 59 5 179 6 16 201
a. 1 Classification is made according to FIS classification.
b. 1 2 3 4 5 Includes individual and mass start races.
c. 1 Includes handicap start, pursuit and double pursuit races.
d. 1 Incomplete due to lack of appropriate sources prior to 2001.
e. 1 2 Did not finish the race (DNF).
f. 1 Withdrawn from 2009–10 Tour de Ski.

Note: Until 1999 World Championships, World Championship races are part of the World Cup. Hence results from 1999 World Championships races are included in the World Cup overall record.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Virpi ja Jari Sarasvuo avioon kokovalkoisissa asuissa". HS.fi (in Finnish). Helsinki: Helsingin Sanomat Oy. 16 July 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Virpi Kuitunen". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016.
  3. ^ "KUITUNEN Virpi". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
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