Iivo Niskanen will switch to Salomon’s team – manager Miro Rousku rejects the claim

Threefold Olympic champion Iivo Niskanen change ski stables. Niskanen, who has been skiing with Fischer’s equipment since 2019, is now the man of the French company Salomon.

The change is surprising, because the Austrian brand has long been a clear powerhouse, especially in men’s cross-country skiing.

“We didn’t see the conditions for the kind of financial performance that Iivo was hoping for”, the boss of Fischer’s importer Peter Planting commented on Friday To Ylewhich was the first to report on Niskanen’s departure from Fischer.

Niskanen’s manager Miro Rousku confirms that his protégé will be transferred to Salomon, but has completely different views on the reasons for the change.

“The talks about Iivo’s desired financial performance were really surprising. Neither Iivo nor I have specified a financial wish for any performance to Fischer, let alone to the importer,” Rousku states emphatically.

“Iivo received a further offer from Fischer, but at his request I didn’t even negotiate it. Iivo’s ski preference was already elsewhere, for completely different reasons,” the manager continues.

Ilta-Sanomat also reached out to Niskanen to comment on his big move.

“The reasons for the change are purely sporting,” says Niskanen.

However, it is clear that for a skier of Niskanen’s level of achievements and visibility, the current ski contract is also financially significant.

“Salomon’s fuze skis for wet conditions were really strong in the tests. The upcoming races and Lahti will probably be held in rather warm conditions,” explains Niskanen.

“During my first ski tests, Salomon immediately found other potential pairs.”

The so-called fuze ski is a fairly new acquaintance in skiing. Salomon has been its leading developers together with Atomic.

The ban on fluoride cream has been a stepping stone for development. The Fuze ski is replacing transparent skis, which have suffered from a lack of fluoride, as a means of vesiculation.

Solomon’s the fact that last season the brand’s top names were from Norway shows its rarity in men’s skiing Einar Hedegartof Britain Andrew Musgrave and the French Theo Schely and Jules Lapierre. Among them, Hedegart will switch back to biathlon next season.

On the women’s side, however, last season Salomon achieved the triple victory of the World Cup team, the clear spearhead of recent years Jessie Digginsin under. The American ended his career this spring.

“It’s really important to me that Salomon has invested a lot in ski testing and product development,” says Niskanen.

“I wanted to join this close-knit team.”

As you know, Niskanen is not the only top skier who is now moving to Salomon.

He also reminds that the next Olympics in 2030 will be held practically in the backyard of Salomon’s factory and headquarters in the French Alps.

“The service and test help they offer is also very valuable there.”

In recent years, some of Finland’s top names have been skiing on Salomon skis Johanna Matintalo.

For the first seven seasons of his career, until 2019, Niskanen skied with another French brand, Rossignol. So this is the second team change of Niskanen’s top career.