Maisa Kuusikko

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Maisa Kuusikko
2019-06-28 1st FIG Artistic Gymnastics JWCH Women's All-around competition Subdivision 1 Floor exercise (Martin Rulsch) 153.jpg
Personal information
Full nameMaisa Kuusikko
Country representedFlag of Finland.svg  Finland
Born (2005-06-16) 16 June 2005 (age 18)
Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Finland
Discipline Women's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior International Elite
Years on national team2018–present (FIN)
ClubTampereen Voimistelijoiden
Head coach(es)Igor Cherepov
Medal record
Women's artistic gymnastics
Representing Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
FIG World Cup
Event1st2nd3rd
World Challenge Cup111

Maisa Kuusikko (born 16 June 2005) is a Finnish artistic gymnast. She represented Finland at the inaugural junior World Championships. She is the 2021 Finnish national champion and a two-time junior national champion. At the 2022 World Championships Kuusikko made history by becoming the first Finnish gymnast to qualify to the all-around final.

Contents

Early life

Kuusikko was born in Tampere, Finland. She began training in gymnastics in 2011. [1]

Junior gymnastics career

2018

Kuusikko competed at the Finnish National Championships where she placed third in the all-around and second on uneven bars. [2] She made her international debut at the 2018 Nordic Championships where she helped Finland place third. Individually she placed eighth in the all-around and second on uneven bars behind Tonya Paulsson. [3]

2019

Kuusikko competed at the Stella Zakharova Cup where she won a pair of bronze on vault and uneven bars. [4] At the Nordic Championships she helped Finland place first. Individually she placed second in the all-around behind Camille Rasmussen but won gold on vault and balance beam. She won the junior national title at the Finnish Championships and was named to the team to compete at the inaugural Junior World Championships alongside Ilona Kossila and Malla Montell. Kuusikko finished 39th in the all-around and was the highest placing Finnish gymnast. [5] In December she competed at the Voronin Cup where she placed fifth in the all-around, third on vault, second on uneven bars and balance beam, and sixth on floor exercise. [6]

2019-06-28 1st FIG Artistic Gymnastics JWCH Women's All-around competition Subdivision 1 Vault (Martin Rulsch) 268.jpg
Vault
2019-06-28 1st FIG Artistic Gymnastics JWCH Women's All-around competition Subdivision 1 Balance beam (Martin Rulsch) 059.jpg
Balance Beam
2019-06-28 1st FIG Artistic Gymnastics JWCH Women's All-around competition Subdivision 1 Floor exercise (Martin Rulsch) 151.jpg
Floor Exercise

2020

The mass majority of competitions in 2020 were either canceled or postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In November Kuusikko competed at the Finnish Championships where she defended her junior national title. Additionally she won gold on vault, uneven bars, and balance beam and placed second on floor exercise behind Olivia Vättö. [7]

Senior gymnastics career

2021

Kuusikko turned senior in 2021. She made her senior international debut at the 2021 European Championships where she qualified to the all-around final. During the final she placed thirteenth. [8] In September she competed at the Finnish Championships and won her first senior national title. Additionally she won the uneven bars and balance beam titles and placed second on vault behind Kaia Tanskanen. [9] Kuusikko was selected to represent Finland at the World Championships alongside Ada Hautala and Rosanna Ojala. [10]

2022

Kuusikko competed at the Baku World Cup where she placed fifth on vault and floor exercise. She next competed at the Varna Challenge Cup where she won silver on balance beam behind Ana Đerek, bronze on vault behind Aline Friess and Camille Rasmussen, and eighth on uneven bars.

Kuusikko later represented Finland at the 2022 World Championships in Liverpool, England, contributing to the Finnish team's 16th place finish during qualifications. She advanced to the individual all-around final in 29th place, becoming the first Finnish gymnast to do so in World Championships history. [11] During the all-around final Kuusikko finished thirteenth. [12]

2023

In September Kuusikko sustained a knee injury and was unable to compete at the 2023 World Championships. [13]

Competitive history

YearEventTeamAA VT UB BB FX
Junior
2018 Finnish ChampionshipsBronze medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg77
Nordic Championships Bronze medal icon.svg8Silver medal icon.svg
2019 Stella Zakharova Cup45Bronze medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svg4
Nordic Championships Gold medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg
Finnish ChampionshipsGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg76
Junior World Championships 2639
Voronin Cup 5Bronze medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg6
2020 Finnish ChampionshipsGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg
Senior
2021
European Championships 13
Finnish World TrialsGold medal icon.svg
Finnish ChampionshipsGold medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svgGold medal icon.svg8
2022 Baku World Cup 55
Varna Challenge Cup Bronze medal icon.svg8Silver medal icon.svg
European Championships 11
Szombathely Challenge Cup 66Gold medal icon.svg
World Championships 1613
2023
European Championships 1115
2024 Baku World Cup

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References

  1. "Maisa Kuusikko FIG profile". International Gymnastics Federation .
  2. "2018 Finnish Championships". The Gymternet. June 3, 2018.
  3. "2018 Nordic Championships Results". The Gymternet. July 6, 2018.
  4. "Stella Zakharova Cup (2019) - Score for Score".
  5. "Tampereen Voimistelijoiden Maisa Kuusikolla upeita suorituksia MM-telineillä". Aamulehti (in Finnish). 4 July 2019.
  6. "2019 Voronin Cup Results". The Gymternet. December 2, 2019.
  7. "Tampereen Voimistelijoiden 15-vuotias Maisa Kuusikko ahkeroi komean viikonlopun – SM-kisojen päätteeksi kaulassa kiilsi kolme kultaa ja kaksi hopeaa". Aamulehti (in Finnish). November 13, 2020.
  8. "15-vuotias Maisa Kuusikko voimisteli 13:nneksi EM-neliottelussa – "Ihan mahtava fiilis"". Yle (in Finnish). April 21, 2021.
  9. "15-vuotias Maisa Kuusikko voimisteli kolme kultaa Oulun SM-kisoissa – "Löytyi paljon onnistumisia"". Länsi-Uusimaa (in Finnish). September 19, 2021.
  10. "Telinevoimistelun MM-kilpailujen edustajat nimetty". Finnish Gymnastics Association (in Finnish). September 20, 2021.
  11. "Maisa Kuusikko, 17, teki historiaa voimistelemalla neliottelun MM-finaaliin" [Maisa Kuusikko, 17, made history by reaching the World Championships all-around final]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). October 31, 2022.
  12. "Maisa Kuusikko hipoi ennätystään ja ja venyi historialliseen tulokseen MM-kisoissa" [Maisa Kuusikko beat her record and stretched to a historic result at the World Championships]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). November 3, 2022.
  13. "Maisa Kuusikko polvileikkaukseen, MM-kisat jäävät väliin" [Maisa Kuusikko to have knee surgery, the World Championships will be missed]. Finnish Gymnastics Federation (in Finnish). September 12, 2023.