Savolainen started in Lahti in March 1994 for the first time in the Ski Jumping World Cup . At first he only took part in World Cup competitions sporadically, but was able to achieve first placements among the top 15. From the 1995/96 season he competed continuously in the World Cup. At the beginning of the season, he usually occupied places in the midfield. When in February 1996 at the Kulm held FIS Ski Flying World Championships in 1996 , he finished 31st rank. After the world championship, his performance increased by leaps and bounds, and he was able to take third place at the following World Cup in Iron Mountain . A week later, on February 28, 1996, he celebrated the only World Cup victory of his career at the World Cup competition in Kuopio . Then his form decreased again and he was mostly in the top 20 by the end of the season. In the following 1996/97 season he mostly fought for a place in the second round, but shortly before the end of the season he was able to get one fifth place in Lahti to improve his record. In 1997/98 his form was more stable again and he was able to achieve placements in the front midfield and several times among the top ten. After this season, Savolainen ended his active career.
Coaching
Since 2003 Savolainen has worked as a junior trainer for the Nordic combined. In 2004 he was given the post of coach of the Finnish B national team. In 2006 he finally moved to the senior national team, where he initially took on the role of assistant coach. After the end of the engagement of the previous head coach Jouko Karjalainen , Savolainen was the responsible head coach of the Finnish national team of Nordic combined from 2007 to 2009. Savolainen has been working in the Italian Nordic Combined team since 2013.
Finland
