Helena Takalo
Country Finland
Full nameMilla Marika Saari
Born28 October 1975 (1975-10-28) (age 48)
Nivala, Finland
Ski clubNakkilan Vire
World Cup career
Seasons12 – (19942001, 20042007)
Team wins1
Indiv. podiums0
Team podiums2
Indiv. starts51
Team starts19
Overall titles0 – (26th in 1999)
Discipline titles0
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing  Finland
World Championships
Disqualified2001 Lahti4 × 5 km relay
Junior World Championships
Silver medal – second place1994 Breitenwang5 km classical
Bronze medal – third place1995 Gällivare4 × 5 km relay

Milla Saari (née Jauho; born 10 July 1975) is a Finnish former cross-country skier who competed from 1994 to 2007. She was best known for her doping role in the 2001 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships doping scandal that would affect five other Finnish skiers for taking hydroxyethyl starch (HES), a blood plasma expander. Saari, then Jauho, was part of the 4 × 5 km relay team that finished second, but would be disqualified for her blood doping and would receive a two-year suspension from the FIS as a result. She also finished sixth in the 15 km event at those same championships.

Saari competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano where she finished 31st in the 15 km event and 50th in the 30 km event. She earned all four of her individual career victories up to 10 km after she served her two-year doping suspension from 2003 to 2005.

Saari retired after the 2006–07 World Cup season.[1]

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[2]

Olympic Games

 Year   Age   5 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
19982231507

World Championships

 Year   Age   5 km   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
19992320212611
200125969CNX[a]DSQ
20073133
a. 1 Cancelled due to extremely cold weather.

World Cup

Season standings

 Season   Age  Discipline standings Ski Tour standings
Overall Distance Long Distance Middle Distance Sprint Tour de
Ski
199418NC
199519NC
19962059
1997217044
19982249NC39
199923263237
200024443133
20012527NC
200428NCNCNC
200529NCNC
200630NCNC
200730765385

Team podiums

  • 1 victory – (1 RL)
  • 2 podiums – (2 RL)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammates
12000–0126 November 2000Norway Beitostølen, Norway4 × 5 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stManninen / Kuitunen / Varis
29 December 2000Italy Santa Caterina, Italy4 × 3 km Relay C/FWorld Cup3rdManninen / Salonen / Kuitunen

See also

References

  1. FIS Newsflash 122. April 11, 2007.
  2. "SAARI Milla". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
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