Virpi Sarasvuo

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.

Virpi Kuitunen leading the group in the quarterfinals of Tour de Ski, Prague 2007
Virpi Sarasvuo
Country Finland
Full nameVirpi Katriina Sarasvuo
Born (1976-05-20) 20 May 1976
Kangasniemi, Finland
Height174 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Ski clubKangasniemen Kalske
World Cup career
Seasons1995, 1997–2001, 2003–2010
Individual wins27
Team wins4
Indiv. podiums52
Team podiums16
Indiv. starts173
Team starts32
Overall titles2 – (2007, 2008)
Discipline titles3 – (2 DI, 1 SP)

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 x 5 km; 2009: Team sprint, 4 x 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

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 x 5 km and serve a two-year suspension that would not end until the 2003 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[2]

Olympic Games
  • 2 medals – (2 bronze)
 Year   Age   10 km 
individual		  15 km 
 skiathlon 		  30 km 
mass start		  Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay 		  Team 
 sprint 
2006299—DNF57Bronze
201033——139Bronze—

World Championships
  • 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 
19992235N/A———N/A—N/A
200124N/A——GoldCNX[a]—DSQN/A
200326N/A——16———N/A
200528N/A4N/A—Silver55—
200730N/A—N/ADNFGoldBronzeGoldGold
200932N/A4N/A13DNF—GoldGold
a. 1 Cancelled due to extremely cold weather.

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

Season standings
 Season   Age  Discipline standings Ski Tour standings
Overall Distance Long Distance Middle Distance Sprint Tour de
Ski		 World Cup
Final
199518NCN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
199720NCN/ANCN/A—N/AN/A
199821NCN/ANCN/A—N/AN/A
19992281N/ANCN/A79N/AN/A
20002334N/A332835N/AN/A
20012418N/AN/AN/ANCN/AN/A
200225suspended: not allowed to compete
20032623N/AN/AN/A20N/AN/A
20042767N/AN/A4N/AN/A
20052838N/AN/A2N/AN/A
20062967N/AN/A10N/AN/A
20073011N/AN/A11N/A
20083111N/AN/A321
20093256N/AN/A111DNF
2010332221N/AN/A20DNF28

Individual podiums
  • 26 victories – (20 WC, 6 SWC)
  • 51 podiums – (43 WC, 8 SWC)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
12000–0117 December 2000 Brusson, Italy1.5 km Sprint FWorld Cup3rd
210 February 2001 Otepää, Estonia5 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
32002–0311 March 2003 Drammen, Norway1.5 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
42003–0413 December 2003   Davos, Switzerland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
518 January 2004 Nové Město, Czech Republic1.2 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
626 February 2004 Drammen, Norway1.5 km Sprint CWorld Cup2nd
77 March 2004 Lahti, Finland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
82004–0520 November 2004 Gällivare, Sweden10 km C IndividualWorld Cup3rd
914 December 2004 Asiago, Italy1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup2nd
1013 February 2005 Reit im Winkl, Germany1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
115 March 2005 Lahti, Finland1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
129 March 2005 Drammen, Norway1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
1312 March 2005 Oslo, Norway30 km C IndividualWorld Cup3rd
1416 March 2005 Göteborg, Sweden1.1 km Sprint FWorld Cup3rd
152005–0619 November 2005 Beitostølen, Norway10 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
1626 November 2005 Kuusamo, Finland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
174 February 2006   Davos, Switzerland1.0 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
185 February 2006   Davos, Switzerland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
192006–0725 November 2006 Kuusamo, Finland1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup2nd
2026 November 2006 Kuusamo, Finland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
2113 December 2006 Cogne/Val d'Aosta, Italy10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
2216 December 2006 La Clusaz, France15 km F Mass StartWorld Cup1st
233 January 2007 Oberstdorf, Germany10 km C IndividualStage World Cup3rd
245 January 2007 Asiago, Italy1.2 km Sprint FStage World Cup1st
256 January 2007 Cavalese, Italy15 km C Mass StartStage World Cup1st
2629 December 2006
– 7 January 2007		 Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup1st
2727 January 2007 Otepää, Estonia10 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
2828 January 2007 Otepää, Estonia1.0 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
293 February 2007   Davos, Switzerland10 km F IndividualWorld Cup1st
3010 March 2007 Lahti, Finland1.2 km Sprint FWorld Cup1st
3114 March 2007 Drammen, Norway1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
3217 March 2007 Oslo, Norway30 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
3321 March 2007 Stockholm, Sweden1.1 km Sprint CWorld Cup2nd
342007–088 December 2007   Davos, Switzerland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
3528 December 2007 Nové Město, Czech Republic3.3 km C IndividualStage World Cup1st
362 January 2008 Nové Město, Czech Republic10 km C IndividualStage World Cup2nd
375 January 2008 Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km C Mass StartStage World Cup1st
3828 December 2007
– 6 January 2008		 Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup2nd
399 February 2008 Otepää, Estonia10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
4010 February 2008 Otepää, Estonia1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
4127 February 2008 Stockholm, Sweden1.1 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
422 March 2008 Lahti, Finland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
435 March 2008 Drammen, Norway1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
442008–0930 November 2008 Kuusamo, Finland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
4613 December 2008   Davos, Switzerland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
4728 December 2008 Oberhof, Germany10 km C PursuitStage World Cup1st
4831 December 2008 Nové Město, Czech Republic9 km C IndividualStage World Cup1st
493 January 2009 Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km C Mass StartStage World Cup1st
5027 December 2008
– 4 January 2009		 Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup1st
5124 January 2009 Otepää, Estonia10 km C IndividualWorld Cup3rd
5225 January 2009 Otepää, Estonia1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd

Team podiums
  • 4 victories – (4 RL)
  • 16 podiums – (13 RL, 3 TS)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)
12000–0125 November 2000 Beitostølen, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stManninen / Jauho / Varis
216 December 2000 Santa Caterina, Italy4 × 3 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rdManninen / Salonen / Jauho
3 2003–04 11 January 2004 Otepää, Estonia4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rdVälimaa / Saarinen / Sarasoja-Lilja
4 2004–05 21 November 2004 Gällivare, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndVälimaa / Saarinen / Roponen
515 December 2004 Asiago, Italy6 × 1.2 km Team Sprint CWorld Cup2ndSaarinen
620 March 2005 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stSaarinen / Välimaa / Roponen
7 2005–06 20 November 2005 Beitostølen, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rdSaarinen / Välimaa / Roponen
815 January 2006 Val di Fiemme, Italy4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stSaarinen / Roponen / Varis
9 2006–07 29 October 2006 Düsseldorf, Germany6 × 0.8 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup3rdSaarinen
1019 November 2006 Gällivare, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rdVälimaa / Roponen / Saarinen
1127 March 2007 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndManninen / Roponen / Saarinen
12 2007–08 28 October 2007 Düsseldorf, Germany6 × 0.8 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup3rdMuranen
1324 February 2008 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndSaarinen / Roponen / Sarasoja-Lilja
14 2008–09 23 November 2008 Gällivare, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndMuranen / Saarinen / Roponen
157 December 2008 La Clusaz, France4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stMuranen / Roponen / Saarinen
16 2009–10 22 November 2009 Beitostølen, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rdMuranen / Roponen / Saarinen

Overall record
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 place1122––28227–229
2nd place16–1––6115–419
3rd place–3–1––6–102416
Podiums22122–22035221064
Top 1052984–1139399516120
Points1055136–22584168616190
Others31[e]3––2[e]11[f]11––11
Starts1356166–24595179616201
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
  1. "Virpi ja Jari Sarasvuo avioon kokovalkoisissa asuissa". HS.fi (in Finnish). Helsinki: Helsingin Sanomat Oy. 16 July 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  2. "KUITUNEN Virpi". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 21 December 2019.

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