Mona-Liisa Malvalehto

Finnish cross-country skier Mona-Liisa Malvalehto won medals at the Junior World Championships, including gold in the individual sprint in 2002, followed by gold in the 5 km classical one year later. At the same time Malvalehto was already competing in World Cup events, recording multiple top-50 finishes in sprint events. In 2005 she competed at her first World Championships, placing seventh in the sprint. Her best individual World Cup result came in the 2012–13 season when she won the sprint event in Liberec in January 2013. Two months later she also won a gold in the team sprint in Sochi. The following year Malvalehto returned to Sochi for the 2014 Olympics, where she placed 27th in the sprint. She continued to compete in the World Cup until 2018, after which she announced her retirement from the sport after failing to be selected for the PyeongChang Olympics.

Tragically, Malvalehto died just one year later from stomach cancer. She was 36-years-old. Her husband Ville Nousiainen was also a cross-country skier who represented Finland at three Olympic Games. Away from sport Malvalehto was also a talented musician, becoming a national champion in accordion playing and later studying at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.