Photo: Juha Inkinen/Karjalainen
Twelve years ago, Andreas Kyburz, representing Tullinge, surged to the front on the final stretch of the Jämsä-Jukola opening leg. Nine seconds later, a pack of runners followed, and the seventh to reach the exchange was 18-year-old Miika Kirmula.
At Jämsä-Jukola, Miika was running his first year in the M20 category. The following year, he won the Junior World Championship in the middle distance.
“I was young and got the chance to run opening legs for Angelniemen Ankkuri against top teams. It was the first time I was part of the leading group at Jukola. The world’s absolute top runners don’t necessarily run the first leg – they’re often seen on the later legs. But I managed to succeed among the best teams in the world, and maybe that’s why the memory of Jämsä-Jukola is the one that comes to mind first. Hopefully, there will be even greater Jukola memories in the future through success.
Text: Markku Sormunen
Photo: Mika Ilomäki/SSL
Miika Kirmula (born December 12, 1994) has won silver in the relay at the World Orienteering Championships in Sarpsborg in 2019 and in Flims Laax in 2023. In addition, he earned silver in the sprint relay at the 2024 World Championships in Edinburgh. At the 2024 European Championships, Kirmula placed third in the long distance. He has also won one World Cup race — the long distance in Kuopio in 2024.
Kirmula became junior world champion in the middle distance in 2014. He represents Kalevan Rasti, having transferred from Angelniemen Ankkuri for the 2018 season.
Kirmula has won Finnish Championship gold in the sprint in 2019, 2022, and 2024; in the middle distance in 2020, 2022 and 2024; and in the long distance in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024.
Source /Wikipedia