Kiira Linda Katriina Korpi is a Finnish figure skater. She is a three-time European medalist (bronze in 2007 and 2011, silver in 2012), the 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard champion, the 2012 Rostelecom Cup champion, a two-time Cup of China medalist, and a four-time Finnish national champion (2009, 2011–2013).
Kiira Korpi wrote on her website ” Devotion is my fortune. When you learn to live in the ongoing microsecond and find the purity of 100 %, you want to go just anywhere to do that every day, again and again. And when you succeed in something new or something really difficult, nothing beats the adrenaline rush you get. I know what I want and I’ve decided to get it. Later on I probably want and do something else, but right now I skate like the ice was melting under my feet. And I strongly believe it’s gonna be one beautiful trip”.
Korpi was born in Tampere, Finland. Her father, Rauno Korpi, coached the Finnish women’s hockey team to a bronze medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics. In Finland her nickname is Jääprinsessa (Ice Princess) due to her resemblance to Grace Kelly, the former Princess of Monaco. Writing for GoldenSkate.com in 2008, Barry Mittan described her as “widely regarded as the most beautiful woman in figure skating”.
In addition to her native Finnish, Korpi also speaks Swedish, English, and German. She does pilates or Ashtanga yoga when she has time. Korpi began skating at the age of five, following her older sister. She landed her first triple jump, a salchow, when she was 11 or 12.
Korpi enjoyed some success as a junior skater, twice winning the junior national title and medaling at three junior Grand Prix events, including a gold in 2004. She won the silver medal at the 2005 Finnish Nationals, qualifying her for the 2005 European Championships, where she placed 13th; she then competed at the 2005 World Junior Championships, where she came in tenth, her best finish at the event.
The following season, Korpi remained on the ISU Junior Grand Prix, but placed 3rd at the 2006 Finnish Nationals, 6th at the 2006 European Championships, and then went on to compete in the 2006 Winter Olympics where she finished in 16th place. Although she had placed 3rd at Nationals, the Finnish skating federation had used the results of the European Championships to determine the Olympic team. Korpi, despite being barely out of juniors, qualified with her finish. In the 2006–2007 post-Olympic season, Korpi made her senior Grand Prix debut. She placed 4th at the 2007 Finnish Nationals, then went to the 2007 European Championships and won the bronze medal, making her the second Finnish ladies’ singles skater to ever win a European medal. She finished 14th at Worlds.
Early in the 2007–2008 season, Korpi suffered an esophagus infection, flu, and sinusitis, causing her to miss her first Grand Prix event. Korpi was 5th at the 2008 European Championships. At the 2008 Worlds, she was 4th after the short program but had a poor long program and ended up in ninth place.Korpi did not skate in the 2008–09 Grand Prix series. Later that season, she became the Finnish national champion, a title she had previously won on the junior level. She was again 5th at the European Championships and won the bronze medal at the 2009 Winter Universiade, her final event of the season.
The 2009–2010 season started well for Korpi, with podium finishes at the Nebelhorn Trophy and the Finlandia Trophy, as well as her first senior Grand Prix medal, a silver at the Cup of China. At the European Championships, she was in second after the short program. Korpi was 11th at the 2010 Winter Olympics but only 19th a month later at the World Championships.
For the 2010–2011 season, Korpi decided to try new choreographers, and worked on her competitive programs with Shae-Lynn Bourne and David Wilson. She began the season at the 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy, which she won for the first time in her career. Her assigned events for the 2010–11 Grand Prix series were the NHK Trophy and the Trophée Eric Bompard. She placed fourth at the NHK Trophy, then won her first Grand Prix title at the Trophée Eric Bompard. The combined results left her as the first alternate for the Grand Prix Final. Her next event was Finnish nationals, which she won for the second time in her career. Korpi won the bronze medal at the 2011 European Championships.
Korpi sustained a foot injury (to the metatarsus) in July and withdrew from the 2011 Japan Open and 2011 Finlandia Trophy as a result. She resumed practicing toe jumps in October and said they were going well but she did not feel they were completely ready for the 2011 NHK Trophy, where she finished 6th. She was fifth at the 2011 Cup of Russia.
She successfully defended her national title at the 2012 Finnish Figure Skating Championships in December.
Korpi won her third medal at the Europeans, finishing second behind Carolina Kostner despite hurting her upper leg a few weeks before the championships. She withdrew from the 2012 World Championships two weeks prior to the event, citing lingering foot and hip injuries. Korpi began her season at the 2012 Finlandia Trophy, where she won the silver medal. She then won her third Grand Prix medal, a bronze, at the 2012 Cup of China. At the 2012 Rostelecom Cup, Korpi won the second GP title of her career and qualified for her first Grand Prix Final. In doing so, she became the first Finnish figure skater to ever qualify for the final. She finished fourth at the event. Korpi’s next event was the 2013 Finnish Nationals, where she took the gold medal.
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Achievements of Kiira Korpi in figure skating
| Event | Year | Rank |
| GP Bompard | 2010-11 | 1st |
| Nebelhorn | 2010-11 | 1st |
| GP Rostelecom | 2012-13 | 1st |
| Finlandia | 2006-07 | 1st |
| Nordics | 2003-04 | 1st |
| JGP Germany | 2004-05 | 1st |
| Merano Cup | 2005-06 | 1st |
| Finnish Champ | 2003-04, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 | 1st |
Kiira Korpi is a Finnish three-time European medalist in figure skating. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You started skating at the age of five years with your elder sister and latter reached the pinnacle of success on being three-time European medalist,Trophée Eric Bompard champion, Rostelecom Cup champion, a two-time Cup of China medalist and a four-time Finnish national champion in Figure Skating. What factors you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?
Ms. Kiira Korpi:
Skating has always been a big passion to me and since I was a little kid I enjoyed the daily training and learning new tricks on the ice. I’ve also had a good support from my coaches, family and friends, but skating and reaching to the top level was always my own decision. I love to skate and work hard and that’s why I think I succeed.
Kiira Korpi on WomenFitness: The website is so interesting with all the different articles and pages. If you are lacking motivation or information about something to do with healthy fitness, I’m 100% sure you can find it at the Womenfitness.net website!
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share. Elaborate on your practice of Pilates and Ashtanga yoga?
Ms. Kiira Korpi:
My daily training consists of practicing on the ice for about three hours. But I also need to do a lot of different exercises off the ice that prepares me to perform better on the ice. These off ice practices takes time about three hours every day and includes a lot of balance and intramuscular training, dancing and working on my flexibility and mobility. On my free time I sometimes like to go to a Pilates or yoga class which are also good for the flexibility and core strength.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Kiira Korpi:
Actually I don’t have any particular diet or strict menu, but of course I try to eat healthy and fresh food and take care that I get enough proteins and good carbs. I use olive oil and eat nuts or seeds every day to also get some healthy fats. I like to have my plate always colorful and use different vegetables and fruit depending on their seasons. I can sometimes allow myself to eat some sweets or unhealthy food when the basic diet is most of the time super healthy and I check that my weight doesn’t go up.
Eating and trying different foods and tastes has always been a great enjoyment for me and it’s important to keep it like that. 🙂
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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
In Finland your nickname is Jääprinsessa (Ice Princess) and “widely regarded as the most beautiful woman in figure skating”. You have glowing skin and gorgeous hairs. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what you do to your hairs to make them look so stunning? Any special treatment to protect your skin in cold conditions?
Ms. Kiira Korpi:
I don’t actually use a lot of cosmetics or hair products but the ones I use are always natural and reliably tested. My favorite cosmetic brand is Lumene Finland and Saravio from Japan.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You had sustained a foot injury (to the metatarsus) in July 2011 and later won the 2012 Finnish Figure Skating Championships. You won your third medal at the Europeans, finishing second behind Carolina Kostner despite hurting your upper leg a few weeks before the championships. How you were able to overcome such a physical injury/setback and what advice you can give to fellow sports person in a similar situation?
Ms. Kiira Korpi:
I don’t know exactly. I think I just wanted to compete so much and my doctor said it’s ok to participate, so I thought I’ll just go there, try to enjoy and do my best. Athletes are usually very tough and as long as it’s nothing serious we tend to push ourselves to the limit. Sometimes the risk works, sometimes it doesn’t. But at least you can be happy if you tried your best and you have no regrets. Sometimes when you are injured you appreciate more that you are able to train or compete and you might feel that you have already won because you are there.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the young figure skating girls who want to make a career in field of Figure Skating?
Ms. Kiira Korpi:
I advice all young skaters to take care that besides training they can still handle the school well. Skating like any other sport in the top level has always many risks, so that’s why it’s important to finish the school if something were to happen or you would get injured. To be able to keep up a good motivation it is important to try to enjoy even the little things you succeed to learn in training. The big success or winning a championship should not be the only goal and reason why you are skating. It’s good to have little goals in training on a daily basis and see the learning process as a fun journey.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
How did you feel before and after winning silver at 2012 European Figure Skating Championships?
Ms. Kiira Korpi:
Before excited and after even more excited! I got injured before going to the competition so I was a little nervous because of that. But then I just wanted to enjoy my performances and managed to skate very well because I had prepared myself mentally so strong and pumped myself up with positive thinking.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Tell us about your experience at Sochi Winter Olympics 2014?
Ms. Kiira Korpi:
I couldn’t compete at the Olympics in Sochi because of a Achilles’ tendon injury and of course that was devastating. But I believe that at the end even the difficult setbacks can be turned into a positive change.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?
Ms. Kiira Korpi:
The website is so interesting with all the different articles and pages. If you are lacking motivation or information about something to do with healthy fitness, I’m 100% sure you can find it at the Womenfitness.net website!
To know more about Kiira Korpi, Check her out at: http://www.kiirakorpi.fi/
Women Fitness Team thanks Kiira Korpi for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and also thank Mikko Luukkaa who made this interview happen.
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All content on this site is copyright of Women Finess and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.