Virpi Sarasvuo


Virpi Katriina Sarasvuo is a Finnish former cross-country skier who competed from 1995 to 2010. She won a bronze medal in the team sprint event 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.
Kuitunen has eight medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with six golds, one silver, one bronze. 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.

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.

Olympic Games

Year Age 10 km
individual		 15 km
skiathlon 		30 km
mass start		 Sprint 4 × 5 km
relay 		Team
sprint
2006299—Cross-country skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics – Women's 30 kilometre freestyle|57Bronze
201033——139Bronze—

World Championships

Year Age 5 km 10 km 15 km Pursuit 30 km Sprint 4 × 5 km
relay 		Team
sprint
19992235————
200124——Gold—
200326——16———
2005284—Silver55—
200730—GoldBronzeGoldGold
200932413FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 – Women's 30 kilometre freestyle|—GoldGold

World Cup

Season titles

Individual podiums

No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlace
12000–0117 December 2000 Brusson, Italy1.5 km Sprint FWorld Cup3rd
22000–0110 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
52003–0418 January 2004 Nové Město, Czech Republic1.2 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
62003–0426 February 2004 Drammen, Norway1.5 km Sprint CWorld Cup2nd
72003–047 March 2004 Lahti, Finland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
82004–0520 November 2004 Gällivare, Sweden10 km C IndividualWorld Cup3rd
92004–0514 December 2004 Asiago, Italy1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup2nd
102004–0513 February 2005 Reit im Winkl, Germany1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
112004–055 March 2005 Lahti, Finland1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
122004–059 March 2005 Drammen, Norway1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
132004–0512 March 2005 Oslo, Norway30 km C IndividualWorld Cup3rd
142004–0516 March 2005 Göteborg, Sweden1.1 km Sprint FWorld Cup3rd
152005–0619 November 2005 Beitostølen, Norway10 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
162005–0626 November 2005 Kuusamo, Finland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
172005–064 February 2006 Davos, Switzerland1.0 km Sprint FWorld Cup2nd
182005–065 February 2006 Davos, Switzerland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
192006–0725 November 2006 Kuusamo, Finland1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup2nd
202006–0726 November 2006 Kuusamo, Finland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
212006–0713 December 2006 Cogne/Val d'Aosta, Italy10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
222006–0716 December 2006 La Clusaz, France15 km F Mass StartWorld Cup1st
232006–073 January 2007 Oberstdorf, Germany10 km C IndividualStage World Cup3rd
242006–075 January 2007 Asiago, Italy1.2 km Sprint FStage World Cup1st
252006–076 January 2007 Cavalese, Italy15 km C Mass StartStage World Cup1st
262006–0729 December 2006
– 7 January 2007		 Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup1st
272006–0727 January 2007 Otepää, Estonia10 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
282006–0728 January 2007 Otepää, Estonia1.0 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
292006–073 February 2007 Davos, Switzerland10 km F IndividualWorld Cup1st
302006–0710 March 2007 Lahti, Finland1.2 km Sprint FWorld Cup1st
312006–0714 March 2007 Drammen, Norway1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
322006–0717 March 2007 Oslo, Norway30 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
332006–0721 March 2007 Stockholm, Sweden1.1 km Sprint CWorld Cup2nd
342007–088 December 2007 Davos, Switzerland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
352007–0828 December 2007 Nové Město, Czech Republic3.3 km C IndividualStage World Cup1st
362007–082 January 2008 Nové Město, Czech Republic10 km C IndividualStage World Cup2nd
372007–085 January 2008 Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km C Mass StartStage World Cup1st
382007–0828 December 2007
– 6 January 2008		 Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup2nd
392007–089 February 2008 Otepää, Estonia10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
402007–0810 February 2008 Otepää, Estonia1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
412007–0827 February 2008 Stockholm, Sweden1.1 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
422007–082 March 2008 Lahti, Finland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
432007–085 March 2008 Drammen, Norway1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
442008–0930 November 2008 Kuusamo, Finland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup2nd
462008–0913 December 2008 Davos, Switzerland10 km C IndividualWorld Cup1st
472008–0928 December 2008 Oberhof, Germany10 km C PursuitStage World Cup1st
482008–0931 December 2008 Nové Město, Czech Republic9 km C IndividualStage World Cup1st
492008–093 January 2009 Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km C Mass StartStage World Cup1st
502008–0927 December 2008
– 4 January 2009		 Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup1st
512008–0924 January 2009 Otepää, Estonia10 km C IndividualWorld Cup3rd
522008–0925 January 2009 Otepää, Estonia1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd

Team podiums

No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlaceTeammate
12000–0125 November 2000 Beitostølen, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stManninen / Jauho / Varis
22000–0116 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
5 2004–05 15 December 2004 Asiago, Italy6 × 1.2 km Team Sprint CWorld Cup2ndSaarinen
6 2004–05 20 March 2005 Falun, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1st Saarinen / Välimaa / Roponen
7 2005–06 20 November 2005 Beitostølen, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rdSaarinen / Välimaa / Roponen
8 2005–06 15 January 2006 Val di Fiemme, Italy4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1st Saarinen / Roponen / Varis
9 2006–07 29 October 2006 Düsseldorf, Germany6 × 0.8 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup3rdSaarinen
10 2006–07 19 November 2006 Gällivare, Sweden4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rdVälimaa / Roponen / Saarinen
11 2006–07 27 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
13 2007–08 24 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
15 2008–09 7 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

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.