Kuortane: Where Olympic Legacy Meets Next-Generation Aquatic Innovation
There is a distinct sense of symmetry at work in Kuortane. Finland’s leading Olympic Training Center, a facility that has shaped national athletic ambition for decades, has recently introduced a technology closely associated with the Olympic Games. Myrtha Pools, trusted across six Olympic Games, has installed a movable split bulkhead at the center, and the story behind its arrival is almost as compelling as the engineering itself.
Much of the emotional foundation of this project is tied to one individual. Tapio Korjus, gold medalist in javelin at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and the center’s long-serving principal, retired at the end of 2025, leaving behind a facility shaped by his ongoing pursuit of world-class standards. The Myrtha bulkhead arrived in the final chapter of his tenure, serving as a meaningful addition to a legacy built on a deep understanding of elite performance.
The installation itself is straightforward in concept, yet highly impactful in practice. A split movable bulkhead, fully compliant with World Aquatics regulations, allows a single pool to support multiple configurations. Different disciplines, distances, and training sessions that would previously have required separate pools or complex scheduling can now be managed within the same space. For a training center of Kuortane’s scale, this represents a significant upgrade.
The path to Kuortane ran through Allastech Oy, Myrtha’s Finnish distributor, established in early 2024 as a subsidiary of Unidors Oy, a family-owned business nearing its fortieth year of operation. Decades of industry experience, established relationships within Finnish aquatics, and a team with competitive swimming backgrounds positioned Allastech as a strong partner for representing one of the industry’s leading manufacturers. Their relationship with Kuortane dates back to 2023, when discussions began around separate technical topics, prior to the Myrtha partnership. When the bulkhead opportunity emerged, the collaboration developed naturally.
Myrtha’s broader ambitions in Finland extend beyond this single installation. As an official partner of Aquatics Finland, the company is addressing a broader challenge: aging pool infrastructure facing increasing sustainability demands and rising performance expectations. This vision was highlighted during a major event held last year at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, where stakeholders gathered to discuss the future of aquatic infrastructure, focusing on sustainability, responsible design, and athlete health. Innovations such as Myrtha Breathe, designed to improve air quality in indoor aquatic environments, reflect an approach that goes beyond the pool itself.
