EMTBOC 2015: Meet Jussi Laurila (Finland)

Name: Jussi Laurila Age: 26 Home location: Jyväskylä, Finland Profession and educational background: Studying BBA for sports marketing, working as marketing coordinator in ski resort. Years in sport of any kind: 22 years. Years in MTBO: 12 years. What got you started: Tried MTBO as summer training for ski-O, and found it fun. Always liked orienteering and the higher speeds with the bike just make it much more fun. Other personal information you would like to share: I'm quite avid for watching other sports too, most sports will do. IOF World Ranking: 5th position MTBO World Cup 2015: 1st position

What is your best moment in MTB Orienteering so far?

- Bringing in the win in the World Champs Relay in Hungary 2012 after a tough race. It was the best thing to share that win with the guys after a well-ridden last leg.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

- I aspire to be just a little bit faster and better every day. And meeting all the people I know at races is very nice too.

What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?

- The balance between exercise and rest is always tricky, the many years peaking the condition at the right moment have been tough. And keeping in mind the general and specific skills needed for a successful race in each terrain. This year, physically it just means I have to be fast uphill and downhill, which is something that has been in mind for quite a while in training.

What are your goals for the European Championships, in Portugal?

- I'll be aiming to run flawless races, while knowing that the speed will be enough for even the highest podium.

What is your biggest challenge in the competition, and how do you intend to manage it?

- Keeping in mind that I don't always have to find an advantage with a more clever route choice than necessary, and keeping focus while executing the chosen routes. And the way to achieve that is just doing enough proper map training and focusing.

What would be your ultimate achievement for the season?

- Winning in the World Champs. I'm still going for that individual medal.

Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by?

- Just day by day, for now.

Anything else you’d like to share?

- I'm lousy at planning ahead for long periods of time, so sometimes my training is purely done by feel.

[Photo credits: Elina Erkkilä]

Joaquim Margarido