Virpi Katriina Sarasvuo (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.
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 × 5 km; 2009: Team sprint, 4 × 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.
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. She was forced to relinquish her silver medal earned in the 4 × 5 km and served a two-year suspension until the 2003 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.
Cross-country skiing results All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
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 2006 29 9 — 5 7 Bronze 2010 33 — — 13 9 Bronze —
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 1999 22 35 — — — — 2001 24 — — Gold — 2003 26 — — 16 — — — 2005 28 4— Silver 5 5 — 2007 30 — Gold Bronze Gold Gold 2009 32 4 13 — Gold Gold
a. Cancelled due to extremely cold weather.
World Cup Season titles 5 titles – (2 overall, 2 distance, 1 sprint) SeasonDiscipline2007 OverallDistanceSprint2008 OverallDistance
Season standings Season Age Discipline standingsSki Tour standingsOverallDistanceLong DistanceMiddle DistanceSprintTour deSkiWorld CupFinal 1995 18 1997 20 — 1998 21 — 1999 22 81 79 2000 23 34 33 28 35 2001 24 18 2003 26 23 20 2004 27 6 7 4 2005 28 3 8 2 2006 29 6 7 10 2007 30 1 1 1 1 2008 31 1 1 3 2 1 2009 32 5 6 11 1 2010 33 22 21 20 28
Individual podiums 27 victories – (21 , 6 ) 52 podiums – (44 , 8 ) No. Season Date Location Race Level Place1 2000–01 17 December 2000 Brusson, Italy 1.5 km Sprint F World Cup 3rd2 10 February 2001 Otepää, Estonia 5 km C Individual World Cup 2nd3 2002–03 11 March 2003 Drammen, Norway 1.5 km Sprint C World Cup 3rd4 2003–04 13 December 2003 Davos, Switzerland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd5 18 January 2004 Nové Město, Czech Republic 1.2 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd6 26 February 2004 Drammen, Norway 1.5 km Sprint C World Cup 2nd7 7 March 2004 Lahti, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st8 2004–05 20 November 2004 Gällivare, Sweden 10 km C Individual World Cup 3rd9 14 December 2004 Asiago, Italy 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 2nd10 13 February 2005 Reit im Winkl, Germany 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 1st11 5 March 2005 Lahti, Finland 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 3rd12 9 March 2005 Drammen, Norway 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 1st13 12 March 2005 Oslo, Norway 30 km C Individual World Cup 3rd14 16 March 2005 Gothenburg, Sweden 1.1 km Sprint F World Cup 3rd15 2005–06 19 November 2005 Beitostølen, Norway 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd16 26 November 2005 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd17 4 February 2006 Davos, Switzerland 1.0 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd18 5 February 2006 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st19 2006–07 25 November 2006 Rukatunturi, Finland 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 2nd20 26 November 2006 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st21 13 December 2006 Cogne, Italy 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st22 16 December 2006 La Clusaz, France 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 1st23 3 January 2007 Oberstdorf, Germany 10 km C Individual Stage World Cup 3rd24 5 January 2007 Asiago, Italy 1.2 km Sprint F Stage World Cup 1st25 6 January 2007 Cavalese, Italy 15 km C Mass Start Stage World Cup 1st2629 December 2006– 7 January 2007 Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 1st27 27 January 2007 Otepää, Estonia 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd28 28 January 2007 1.0 km Sprint C World Cup 1st29 3 February 2007 Davos, Switzerland 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st30 10 March 2007 Lahti, Finland 1.2 km Sprint F World Cup 1st31 14 March 2007 Drammen, Norway 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 1st32 17 March 2007 Oslo, Norway 30 km C Individual World Cup 2nd33 21 March 2007 Stockholm, Sweden 1.1 km Sprint C World Cup 2nd342007–08 8 December 2007 Davos, Switzerland 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st35 28 December 2007 Nové Město, Czech Republic 3.3 km C Individual Stage World Cup 1st36 2 January 2008 10 km C Individual Stage World Cup 2nd37 5 January 2008 Val di Fiemme, Italy 10 km C Mass Start Stage World Cup 1st38 28 December 2007– 6 January 2008 Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 2nd39 9 February 2008 Otepää, Estonia 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st40 10 February 2008 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 3rd41 27 February 2008 Stockholm, Sweden 1.1 km Sprint C World Cup 1st42 2 March 2008 Lahti, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st43 5 March 2008 Drammen, Norway 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 1st44 16 March 2008 Bormio, Italy 10 km F Pursuit World Cup 1st45 2008–0930 November 2008 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd46 13 December 2008 Davos, Switzerland 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st47 28 December 2008 Oberhof, Germany 10 km C Pursuit Stage World Cup 1st48 31 December 2008 Nové Město, Czech Republic 9 km C Individual Stage World Cup 1st49 3 January 2009 Val di Fiemme, Italy 10 km C Mass Start Stage World Cup 1st5027 December 2008– 4 January 2009 Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 1st51 24 January 2009 Otepää, Estonia 10 km C Individual World Cup 3rd52 25 January 2009 1.2 km Sprint C World Cup 3rd
Team podiums
4 victories – (4 ) 16 podiums – (13 , 3 )
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)1 2000–0125 November 2000 Beitostølen, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Manninen / Jauho / Varis2 16 December 2000 Santa Caterina, Italy 4 × 3 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Manninen / Salonen / Jauho3 2003–04 11 January 2004 Otepää, Estonia 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Välimaa / Saarinen / Sarasoja-Lilja4 2004–05 21 November 2004 Gällivare, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Välimaa / Saarinen / Roponen5 15 December 2004 Asiago, Italy 6 × 1.2 km Team Sprint CWorld Cup 2nd Saarinen6 20 March 2005 Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Saarinen / Välimaa / Roponen7 2005–06 20 November 2005 Beitostølen, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Saarinen / Välimaa / Roponen8 15 January 2006 Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Saarinen / Roponen / Varis9 2006–07 29 October 2006 Düsseldorf, Germany 6 × 0.8 km Team Sprint F World Cup 3rd Saarinen10 19 November 2006 Gällivare, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 3rd Välimaa / Roponen / Saarinen11 27 March 2007 Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 2nd Manninen / Roponen / Saarinen12 2007–08 28 October 2007 Düsseldorf, Germany 6 × 0.8 km Team Sprint F World Cup 3rd Muranen13 24 February 2008 Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 2nd Saarinen / Roponen / Sarasoja-Lilja 14 2008–09 23 November 2008 Gällivare, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Muranen / Saarinen / Roponen15 7 December 2008 La Clusaz, France 4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Muranen / Roponen / Saarinen 16 2009–10 22 November 2009 Beitostølen, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Muranen / Roponen / Saarinen
Overall record ResultDistance RacesSprintSkitoursIndividualeventsTeam EventsAll events≤ 5 km ≤ 10 km≤ 15 km ≤ 30 km≥ 30 km PursuitTeam sprintRelay1st place 1 12 2 – – 2 8 2 27 – 2 292nd place 1 6 – 1 – – 6 1 15 – 4 193rd place – 3 – 1 – – 6 – 10 2 4 16Podiums 2 21 2 2 – 2 20 3 52 2 10 64 Top 10 5 29 8 4 – 11 39 3 99 5 16 120 Points 10 55 13 6 – 22 58 4 168 6 16 190 Others 3 1 3 – – 2 1 1 11 – – 11 Starts 13 56 16 6 – 24 59 5 179 6 16 201
a. Classification is made according to FIS classification. b. Includes individual and mass start races. c. Includes handicap start, pursuit and double pursuit races. d. Incomplete due to lack of appropriate sources prior to 2001. e. Did not finish the race (DNF). f. 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
Tour de Virpi report – Accessed 11 January 2007.
External links