The long distance ski team Team Coop has in front of the two final events in Ski Classics signed up the Finnish Olympic gold medalist starlet from Sochi, Iivo Niskanen!

Iivo is 23 years old and won the Team Sprint in Sochi, where he also grabbed the 4th place in the 15km race.

This winter Iivo won his first world cup race over 15km in Ruka, Finland. He has in addition also a gold medal from the U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme 2014.

– Iivo is a very strong traditional distance skier, and I am sure that the track hilly track in Birkebeinerrennet, Norway, fits him very well. He is also a young interesting skier for the future with a great potential.

– Iivo, Sami Jauhojärvi, Morten Eide Pedersen and Bill Impola are all four really strong climbers, where maybe me and Jimmie Johnsson are more double pooling specialists, says Oskar Svärd Team Director of Team Coop.

– It will be a perfect option to race in Birken after the Falun’s World Champs disappointment (flu after relay). This is my first touch in the Ski Classics tour, where it’s important to be part of a successful and experienced team, like Team Coop.

– They have lots of knowledge with waxing, tactic and feeding things during the race. I’ve always been better with classic style, so naturally I am hoping to be a strong Ski Classics athlete in the future, says Iivo Niskanen.

Follow Team Coop on www.teamcoop.no and on the Team´s Facebook.

More info about Ski Classics at www.skiclassics.com.

Team Coop squad in Ski Classics Event 8 of 9, Birkebeinerrennet:
Oskar Svärd, Sweden
Morten Eide Pedersen, Norway
Sami Jauhojärvi, Finland
Jimmie Johnsson, Sweden
Bill Impola, Sweden
Iivo Niskanen, Finland
Seraina Boner, Switzerland
Annika Löfström, Sweden
Emelie Kristoffersen, Norway