Kuortane: Where Olympic Legacy Meets Aquatic Innovation
There is a particular kind of symmetry at work in Kuortane. Finland’s foremost Olympic Training Centre, a facility that has shaped national athletic ambition for decades, has recently introduced a piece of technology closely associated with the Olympic Games. Myrtha Pools, trusted across six Olympic editions, has installed a movable split bulkhead at the centre, and the story behind its arrival is almost as compelling as the engineering itself.
Much of the emotional foundation of this project is linked to one individual. Tapio Korjus, gold medallist in javelin at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and the centre’s long-serving principal, retired at the end of 2025, leaving behind a facility shaped by his consistent pursuit of high standards. The Myrtha bulkhead arrived in the final phase of his tenure, becoming a meaningful addition to a legacy defined by a deep understanding of elite training requirements.
The installation itself is straightforward in concept, yet highly effective in practice. A split movable bulkhead, fully compliant with World Aquatics regulations, allows a single pool to accommodate 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 centre of Kuortane’s scale, this represents a significant operational improvement.
The path to Kuortane involved Allastech Oy, Myrtha’s Finnish distributor, established in early 2024 as a subsidiary of Unidors Oy, a family-owned company with nearly forty years of experience. Long-standing industry knowledge, established relationships within Finnish aquatics, and a team with strong competitive swimming backgrounds positioned Allastech as a credible partner for representing one of the sector’s leading manufacturers. Their connection with Kuortane began in 2023 through separate technical discussions, prior to the Myrtha collaboration. When the bulkhead opportunity arose, the partnership 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 wider challenge: ageing aquatic infrastructure facing increasing sustainability requirements and performance expectations. This direction was clearly highlighted during a key event held last year at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, where stakeholders gathered to discuss the future of aquatic infrastructure in relation to sustainability, responsible design and athlete wellbeing. Innovations such as Myrtha Breathe, designed to improve air quality in indoor aquatic environments, reflect an approach that looks beyond the pool itself.
