Aino-Kaisa Saarinen
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen is a retired Finnish cross-country skier who competed in the World Cup between 1998 and 2018. With 354 individual World Cup starts, Saarinen is the current record holder for both men and women, with Stefanie Böhler in second place with 343.
Career
Competing in two Winter Olympics, she won three bronze medals with one in 2006 and two in 2010.Saarinen also won six medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with four golds and two bronze. She has six individual victories in FIS races since 2002, but did not win her first World Cup event until she won the 30 km classical event at the Holmenkollen ski festival on March 17, 2007.
Saarinen finished second in the 2008/09 Tour de Ski behind Virpi Kuitunen.
Cross-country skiing results
All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation.Olympic Games
- 5 medals –
| Year | Age | 10 km individual | 15 km skiathlon | 30 km mass start | Sprint | 4 × 5 km relay | Team sprint |
| 2006 | 27 | 7 | — | 17 | 26 | 7 | 3rd |
| 2010 | 31 | 15 | 5 | 3rd | 13 | 3rd | — |
| 2014 | 35 | 4 | 5 | 21 | — | 2nd | 2nd |
| 2018 | 39 | — | — | 20 | 25 | 4 | — |
World Championships
- 10 medals –
| Year | Age | 10 km individual | 15 km classical | Pursuit | 30 km | Sprint | 4 × 5 km relay | Team sprint |
| 2001 | 22 | — | — | — | 11 | — | ||
| 2003 | 24 | — | 25 | — | 22 | 29 | — | |
| 2005 | 26 | — | 30 | 4 | 8 | 5 | — | |
| 2007 | 28 | — | 6 | 4 | 18 | 1st | — | |
| 2009 | 30 | 1st | 3rd | 7 | — | 1st | 1st | |
| 2011 | 32 | 3rd | 8 | 23 | — | 3rd | 2nd | |
| 2013 | 34 | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | |
| 2015 | 36 | — | 15 | 7 | 18 | 3rd | — | |
| 2017 | 38 | — | — | 14 | — | 3rd | 5 |
World Cup
Season standings
Individual podiums
- 4 victories –
- 35 podiums –
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place |
| 1 | 2002–03 | 08.03.2003 |  Oslo, Norway | 30 km Individual C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 2 | 2004–05 | 16.03.2005 |  Gothenburg, Sweden | 1.0 km Sprint F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 3 | 2005–06 | 22.10.2005 |  Düsseldorf, Germany | 0.8 km Sprint F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 4 | 2006–07 | 13.12.2006 |  Cogne, Italy | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 5 | 2006–07 | 06.01.2007 | Cavalese, Italy | 15 km Mass Start C | Stage World Cup | 2nd |
| 6 | 2006–07 | 20.01.2007 |  Rybinsk, Russia | 15 km Mass Start F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 7 | 2006–07 | 14.03.2007 | Drammen, Norway | 1.0 km Sprint C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 8 | 2006–07 | 17.03.2007 | Oslo, Norway | 30 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 9 | 2007–08 | 08.12.2007 |  Davos, Switzerland | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 10 | 2007–08 | 28.12.2007 |  Nové Město, Czech Republic | 3.3 km Individual C | Stage World Cup | 2nd |
| 11 | 2007–08 | 02.01.2008 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 10 km Individual C | Stage World Cup | 1st |
| 12 | 2007–08 | 09.02.2008 |  Otepää, Estonia | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 13 | 2007–08 | 23.02.2008 | Falun, Sweden | 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 14 | 2008–09 | 22.11.2008 | Gällivare, Sweden | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 15 | 2008–09 | 30.11.2008 |  Rukatunturi, Finland | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 16 | 2008–09 | 06.12.2008 |  La Clusaz, France | 15 km Mass Start F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 17 | 2008–09 | 13.12.2008 | Davos, Switzerland | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 18 | 2008–09 | 29.12.2008 | Prague, Czech Republic | 1.3 km Sprint F | Stage World Cup | 2nd |
| 19 | 2008–09 | 31.12.2008 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 9 km Individual C | Stage World Cup | 2nd |
| 20 | 2008–09 | 01.01.2009 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 1.2 km Sprint F | Stage World Cup | 3rd |
| 21 | 2008–09 | 03.01.2009 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 10 km Mass Start C | Stage World Cup | 3rd |
| 22 | 2008–09 | 27.12.2008 - 4 January 2009 | Tour de Ski | Overall Standings | World Cup | 2nd |
| 23 | 2008–09 | 24.01.2009 | Otepää, Estonia | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 24 | 2008–09 | 25.01.2009 | Otepää, Estonia | 1.2 km Sprint C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 25 | 2008–09 | 18.03.2009 | Stockholm, Sweden | 1.0 km Sprint C | Stage World Cup | 2nd |
| 26 | 2009–10 | 29.11.2009 | Rukatunturi, Finland | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 27 | 2009–10 | 13.12.2009 | Davos, Switzerland | 1.0 km Sprint F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 28 | 2009–10 | 02.01.2010 | Oberhof, Germany | 10 km Pursuit C | Stage World Cup | 2nd |
| 29 | 2009–10 | 03.01.2010 | Oberhof, Germany | 1.6 km Sprint C | Stage World Cup | 3rd |
| 30 | 2009–10 | 07.01.2010 | Cortina–Toblach, Italy | 5 km Individual C | Stage World Cup | 2nd |
| 31 | 2009–10 | 16.01.2010 | Otepää, Estonia | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 32 | 2009–10 | 17.01.2010 | Otepää, Estonia | 1.2 km Sprint C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 33 | 2009–10 | 11.03.2010 | Drammen, Norway | 1.0 km Sprint C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 34 | 2010–11 | 04.02.2011 | Rybinsk, Russia | 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 35 | 2010–11 | 19.02.2011 | Drammen, Norway | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 3rd |
Team podiums
- 3 victories –
- 26 podiums –
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place | Teammate |
| 1 | 2000–01 | 13.01.2001 |  Soldier Hollow, United States | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Rauhala / Välimaa / Sirviö |
| 2 | 2002–03 | 19.01.2003 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Välimaa / Pienimäki-Hietamäki / Varis |
| 3 | 2003–04 | 11.01.2004 | Otepää, Estonia | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Välimaa / Sarasoja / Kuitunen |
| 4 | 2003–04 | 22.02.2004 | Umeå, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Salonen / Sarasoja / Venäläinen |
| 5 | 2004–05 | 21.11.2004 | Gällivare, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Välimaa / Kuitunen / Roponen |
| 6 | 2004–05 | 15.12.2004 | Asiago, Italy | 6 × 1.2 km Team Sprint C | World Cup | 2nd | Kuitunen |
| 7 | 2004–05 | 23.01.2005 | Pragelato, Italy | 6 × 1.2 km Team Sprint C | World Cup | 3rd | Manninen |
| 8 | 2004–05 | 20.03.2005 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Välimaa / Roponen / Kuitunen |
| 9 | 2005–06 | 20.11.2005 | Beitostølen, Norway | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Välimaa / Roponen / Kuitunen |
| 10 | 2006–07 | 29.10.2006 | Düsseldorf, Germany | 6 × 0.8 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 3rd | Kuitunen |
| 11 | 2006–07 | 19.11.2006 | Gällivare, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Välimaa / Kuitunen / Roponen |
| 12 | 2006–07 | 04.02.2007 | Davos, Switzerland | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Manninen / Venäläinen / Roponen |
| 13 | 2006–07 | 25.03.2007 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Kuitunen / Roponen / Muranen |
| 14 | 2007–08 | 25.11.2007 | Beitostølen, Norway | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Sarasoja / Roponen / Muranen |
| 15 | 2007–08 | 17.02.2008 | Liberec, Czech Republic | 4 × 1.4 km Team Sprint C | World Cup | 2nd | Muranen |
| 16 | 2007–08 | 24.02.2008 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Kuitunen / Roponen / Sarasoja |
| 17 | 2008–09 | 23.11.2008 | Gällivare, Sweden | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Muranen / Kuitunen / Roponen |
| 18 | 2008–09 | 07.12.2008 | La Clusaz, France | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Muranen / Kuitunen / Roponen |
| 19 | 2009–10 | 22.11.2009 | Beitostølen, Norway | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Muranen / Kuitunen / Roponen |
| 20 | 2011–12 | 20.11.2011 | Sjusjøen, Norway | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Lähteenmäki / Roponen / Sarasoja-Lilja |
| 21 | 2011–12 | 12.02.2012 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Sarasoja-Lilja / Roponen / Lähteenmäki |
| 22 | 2012–13 | 20.01.2013 | La Clusaz, France | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Kyllönen / Roponen / Niskanen |
| 23 | 2013–14 | 08.12.2013 | Lillehammer, Norway | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Kyllönen / Niskanen / Lähteenmäki |
| 24 | 2013–14 | 22.12.2013 | Asiago, Italy | 6 × 1.25 km Team Sprint C | World Cup | 1st | Kyllönen |
| 25 | 2013–14 | 12.01.2014 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 6 × 1.3 km Team Sprint C | World Cup | 2nd | Malvalehto |
| 26 | 2016–17 | 18.12.2016 | La Clusaz, France | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Kyllönen / Roponen / Mononen |