Milla Saari

Helena Takalo
Country Finland
Full nameMilla Marika Saari
Born28 October 1975 (1975-10-28) (age 49)
Nivala, Finland
Ski clubNakkilan Vire
World Cup career
Seasons12 – (19942001, 20042007)
Starts51
Podiums0
Overall titles0 – (26th in 1999)
Discipline titles0
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing  Finland
World Championships
Disqualified 2001 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay
Junior World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1994 Breitenwang 5 km classical
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Gällivare 4 × 5 km relay

Milla Saari (née Jauho; born 10 July 1975) is a Finnish former cross-country skier who competed from 1994 to 2007. She was best known for her doping role in the 2001 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships doping scandal that would affect five other Finnish skiers for taking hydroxyethyl starch (HES), a blood plasma expander. Saari, then Jauho, was part of the 4 × 5 km relay team that finished second, but would be disqualified for her blood doping and would receive a two-year suspension from the FIS as a result. She also finished sixth in the 15 km event at those same championships.

Saari competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano where she finished 31st in the 15 km event and 50th in the 30 km event. She earned all four of her individual career victories up to 10 km after she served her two-year doping suspension from 2003 to 2005.

Saari retired after the 2006–07 World Cup season.[1]

  1. ^ FIS Newsflash 122. April 11, 2007.