Betamet Supports Young, Promising Alpine Skier
15-year-old Johanna Tikkanen, who has been competing in the adult league for a year, has achieved good results in alpine skiing ever since 2003. Betamet is supporting Johanna’s goal to join the alpine skiing world elite within three or four years.
In January 2008, Johanna Tikkanen won the FIS-tour giant slalom competition of the International Ski Federation in Sweden. She completed both of her runs excellently. Johanna is probably the youngest FIS-winner of all time, since she turned 15 two months before the race. Thus, she took the lead in the giant slalom ranking list of her age group, born in 1992. Even in the ranking list for skiers one year older, she ranks on position nine.
The Whole Summer on the Middle-European Glaciers
Johanna´s coach is her father, Sami Tikkanen, a former alpine skier. Johanna’s ambitious goal is to join the Finnish European Cup team next winter, and even to take part in her first World Cup competition.
- We have to take part in competitions in Argentina and Chile in August and September. Johanna has to perform there perfectly to convince the selectors that she is fast enough for European and World Cup competitions, tells Sami Tikkanen.
As youngest participant ever, Johanna was selected to represent Finland in the U-20 World Championships in Spain at the end of February. She is competing there in her main event, giant slalom, and for the first time also in downhill and super-g. The participants of the World Youth Championships are also World Cup elite.
The support of family and friends is not only needed during competition trips, but also when preparing for the Middle-European glaciers for the contests in South America.
Aiming high, but school is also important
During the three last seasons while competing in children´s leagues, Johanna has been unbeatable in Finland.
- My main goal for the season 2006-2007 was to win the U-15 alpine skiing “Trofo Topolino”-competition, the unofficial World Championships. I reached this goal, Johanna tells.
Referring to the statistics, which have been calculated since 1966, more than half of the medallists have reached the world elite as adults.
Johanna wants to constantly evolve as an athlete and at the same time maintain her school grades. She attends an alpine skiing high school in Jällivaara, Sweden, with top-notch training opportunities on the European scale.
Constantly growing speed does not confuse Johanna Tikkanen. She stays grounded and takes her success one year at a time.