Kaisa Mäkäräinen

Born Kaisa-Leena Mäkäräinen on 11 January 1983 in Ristijärvi, Finland. The charming and very sunny Kaisa is a professional biathlete. She started her career as a cross-country skier and wasn't paying any attention to biathlon until the age of 20. In 2004, Mäkäräinen joined the Finnish national biathlon team and on 5 March 2005 she made her World Cup debut. Mäkäräinen is known to indecisive in her shooting, but she can always count on her remarkable, very fast skiing. Her ski times are compared to notable biathletes like Uschi Disl, Magdalena Neuner and Tora Berger. She was noticed during the 2007 World Championships in Antholz-Anterselva. Mäkäräinen finished 8th in the Individual, 29th in the sprint, 25th in the pursuit, 7th in the mass start, 12th in the relay and 16th in the mixed relay. When the season concluded she was 27th in the overall. Looking at the shooting statistics of that season, Mäkäräinen's success percentage is a total of 81%, from the prone position - 85% and from the standing position - 76%. In the summer of 2007, Mäkäräinen won the World Championship on roller-skis in Otepää in both the 7.5 km sprint and the 10 km pursuit. The next two World Championships in 2008 and 2009 weren't successful for the Finnish biathlete. In 2008 in Östersund, Mäkäräinen placed 31st in the Individual, 55th in the sprint, didn't compete in the pursuit because of her bad sprint's finish, 15th in both the mass start and relay and 10th in the mixed relay. In 2009 in Pyeongchang, her best result was 4th place in the pursuit. In the other events she was 30th in the Individual, 23rd in the sprint, 17th in the mass start and 6th in the mixed relay. However Mäkäräinen achieved good overall placings - 13th in 2007-2008 and 14th in 2008-2009. She made her first Olympic Games appearance in 2010 in Vancouver. Mäkäräinen didn't win anything and finished 46th in the Individual, 59th in the sprint and 45th in the pursuit. But after the Games, Mäkäräinen showed her potential and absolutely crashed the competition in 2010-2011 season. It all began with two World Cup victories in Östersund, when she won the sprint and pursuit. Later during the 2011 World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Kaisa Mäkäräinen won two medals - the gold in the pursuit and the silver in the sprint. In the other disciplines, she was 28th in the Individual, 4th in the mass start, 10th in the relay and 9th in the mixed relay. In the end of the season, Mäkäräinen received the big crystal globe, her first discipline career title as well as her first discipline title for the pursuit. Among other awards, she was subsequently named the 2011 Finnish Sports Personality of the Year. During the 2011-2012 season, Mäkäräinen made two World Cup wins - in the 15 km Individual in Nove Mesto and in the pursuit in Kontiolahti. At the 2012 World Championships in Ruhpolding, she won one bronze medal in the mass start. In the other races her performance was 28th in the Individual, 27th in the sprint, 20th in the pursuit, 18th in the relay and 16th in the mixed relay. The season ended for her at number 4 in the overall; 3rd in the Individual overall and 2nd in the pursuit overall. The 2012-2013 season wasn't memorable. Kaisa didn't make any World Cup victories, neither took any medals from the 2013 World Championships in Nove Mesto. She placed 8th in the Individual, 9th in the sprint, 10th in the pursuit, 17th in the mass start, 21st in the relay and 19th in the mixed relay. But Mäkäräinen was 5th in the overall. In 2013-2014, the biathlon world was completely shook by Mäkäräinen. The great biathlete achieved four World Cup victories during the season. On 8 March 2014 she won the pursuit in Pokljuka. Five days later Mäkäräinen won the sprint events in Kontiolahti and some days later the following pursuit. That same season were the Olympics in Sochi. Sadly, Mäkäräinen didn't win any medal. She was 9th in the Individual, 30th in the sprint, 16th in the pursuit and 6th in the mass start. No matter, medal or no medal, at the end of the 2013-2014 season, Kaisa Mäkäräinen was holding the big crystal globe for the second time in her career. That meant second overall title for the sunny biathlete. But add to that success also two discipline titles - for the Individual and the sprint. The 2014-2015 season was also another sensation. In Östersund, on 7 December 2014, Mäkäräinen won the third race from the biathlon schedule, the 10 km pursuit. Next week her triumph was in Hochfilzen, when she won both the sprint and pursuit. The following week in Pokljuka, Mäkäräinen won the mass start. After that at the 2015 World Championships in Kontiolahti, she won a bronze medal in the 15 km Individual for the joy of all her compatriot fans. In the other events, Mäkäräinen placed 35th in the sprint, 12th in the pursuit, 15th in the mass start, 17th in the relay and 7th in the mixed relay. After the World Championships, Kaisa made two more World Cup victories. She won the Individual in Holmenkollen and the 7.5 km sprint in Khanty-Mansiysk. The season ended for her at number 2 in the overall. However Mäkäräinen overpowered the competition and won two discipline titles for the sprint and pursuit. She was 2nd in the Individual overall. In 2015-2016, Mäkäräinen added three more World Cup wins to her career record. She won the 12.5 km mass start in Pokljuka and then after the Christmas break, won the sprint and pursuit in Khanty-Mansiysk. At the 2016 World Championships, Mäkäräinen won one bronze medal in the mass start. Unfortunately she was too groggy to struggle in the final meters before the finish line, up to which point she was a certain silver medalist. But lost the silver to Laura Dahlmeier. In spite of that fact, Mäkäräinen eventually claimed the bronze. In the other disciplines, she was 19th in the Individual, 9th in the sprint, 7th in the pursuit, 17th in the relay and 18th in the mixed relay. Kaisa Mäkäräinen is one of the most highly admired and loved biathletes in the World Cup. When she wins, it's a victory not only for her but for her fans and supporters too. It's a shame that an outstanding career like hers still seeks that Olympic medal but in an interview Mäkäräinen has expressed her affection for the race track in Pyeongchang. And the upcoming Olympic Games are settled to be there in 2018. So with all the love and best wishes from her fans, we all wait in anticipation for her performance at the Games.