They are the only married couple to have both competed at six Olympics, and are among the only five Finns to have done so - the others being Raimo Helminen (ice hockey), Kyra Kyrklund (dressage), and Juha Hirvi (shooting).
This was almost the last international glory Helminen was ever to get as then current National team head coach Pentti Matikainen decided that Helminen's time in the national team was over.
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After Matikainen was fired and the new head coach, Swede Curt "Curre" Lindström took over in 1994 Helminen was re-instated to the national team.
Assisting the new Barys chief on the coaching staff will be Andrei Shayanov, Raimo Helminen, Yerlan Sagymbayev and Alexander Achziger.
He holds the record with other 2008 participant, dressage rider Kyra Kyrklund and three winter Olympians: cross country skiers Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi and Harri Kirvesniemi and ice hockey player Raimo Helminen.