Inka Hämäläinen

Inka Hämäläinen (born 17 December 2005) is a Finnish biathlete. She has competed in the Biathlon World Cup since 2023.

Career

Inka Hämäläinen made her international debut in March 2021 at the age of 15 at the Youth World Championships in Obertilliach, placing 34th in the sprint and ninth with the relay team, among other results. The following year, she again participated in the championships and, together with Rebecca Sandnäs and Nea Vähäsarja, narrowly missed a medal by finishing fourth in the relay event. At the beginning of the 2022/23 season, the Finn made her IBU Cup debut in Ridnaun, finishing in the top 50 in all three competitions. She also took part in the 2023 Youth Olympic Festival, placing seventh in the individual, sprint, and mixed relay events.

In late November 2023, Hämäläinen, then the second athlete born in 2005 to do so, competed in her first World Cup race. In Östersund, she placed 75th out of 99 starters in the individual event after four shooting misses. During the season, she continued to compete in the IBU Cup, but achieved her best results at the European Championships, where she finished 23rd in the individual and 35th in the sprint.

Her first medal at an international IBU competition came in August 2024, when she won silver in the supersprint at the Summer Biathlon Junior World Championships behind Bulgarian athlete Lora Hristova. At the start of the 2024/2025 season, Hämäläinen became a regular member of the World Cup team. She made an impression from the outset: the 18-year-old competed in both the mixed and women's relays in Kontiolahti and immediately achieved two top-ten finishes. In late December, she also qualified for her first World Cup pursuit race in Le Grand-Bornand. At the beginning of the new calendar year, she earned her first World Cup points by finishing 30th in the sprint in Oberhof and confirmed this performance with 35th place in the pursuit. In both races, all four Finnish starters—Hämäläinen, Suvi Minkkinen, Sonja Leinamo, and Venla Lehtonen—scored points. The following February, she also competed in the World Championships for the first time but finished outside the top 50.

Biathlon results All results are sourced from the International Biathlon Union.

Olympic Games 0 medal EventIndividualSprintPursuitRelay 2026 Milano Cortina 56th 77th — — 7th 6th

World Championships

EventIndividualSprintPursuitRelay 2025 Lenzerheide 70th 62nd — — 15th — —

World Cup Season Age Overall Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Races Points Position Points Position Points Position Points Position Points Position2023–24 17 1/21 Did not earn World Cup points 2024–25 18 10/21 16 76th — — 11 71st 5 75th — —2025–26 19 12/21 101 47th 11 64th 70 36th 20 59th — —

Youth and Junior World Championships

Year Age Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass Start Relay Mixed Relay 2021 Obertilliach 15 53rd 34th 60thN/A 9th — 2022 Soldier Hollow 16 22nd 34th 31st 4th — 2023 Shchuchinsk 17 39th 24th 37th 8th 6th 2024 Otepää 18 6th 23rdN/A 31st 12th 4th 2026 Arber 20BronzeSilver 6th 9th 9th