Jari Kymäläinen as the Event Director for the World Orienteering Championships in Kuopio 2025

Jari Kymäläinen from Tampere has been selected as the new Event Director for the Kuopio 2025 World Orienteering Championships. Jari has served for years in responsible positions within the International Orienteering Federation (IOF), and as a former top orienteer, he is well aware of the athletes’ aspirations regarding the World Championships. He is one of the most experienced supervisors at IOF, so his expertise extends beyond elite orienteering matters. Initially, the distance from his hometown of Tampere to Kuopio was a concern when Jari was approached for this demanding role. However, the final decision was facilitated by his involvement in the World Championships project from its inception, serving in a supervisory role. With the background clear, remote connections have become commonplace and collaboration with the rest of the management has been smooth.

The daily life of the Kymäläinen family has revolved around orienteering. The family includes Jari’s wife, Maritta, and their adult children, Sanni and Severi. Jari’s day job involves leadership roles in personnel management within the mining industry, where he encounters people from various backgrounds around the world.

The World Championships 2025 organization and the Kuopion Suunnistajat warmly welcome Jari as the Event Director.