Kalle Palander and Tanja Poutiainen to continue with Exel poles

Kalle Palander and Tanja Poutiainen to continue with Exel poles The most successful Finnish alpine skiers, World Champion Kalle Palander and Tanja Poutiainen who have brought home numerous medals from World Cups continue to trust Exel poles. They both recently signed a new four-year-long agreement with Exel Sports Oy. Both Palander and Poutiainen have been very active with marketing and promoting Exel’s alpine poles worldwide. - It is super to represent top-quality goods from Finland. The cooperation with Exel has been so smooth that it is a pleasure to continue it also in the future. Exel’s alpine poles are of the best quality, Palander says. Last season, Palander won two World Cup races, slalom in both Schladming and Shiga Kogen. He finished second in the World Cup in slalom and fifth in giant slalom. - Last season’s two victories will not be the last ones. I have already set a target, winning a medal, in the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. Before that, I will naturally focus on the World Championships in Åre in 2007 and 70 starts of the World Cup, he adds. Poutiainen, who won silver in women’s giant slalom in the Torino Olympics, has been very happy with her cooperation with Exel. - I think the public does not quite understand the role that poles play in alpine skiing. It is extremely important that the poles are resistant and provide an extra kick for the first meters of a race. In my opinion Exel’s poles can be trusted 100 per cent, Poutiainen says. Poutiainen’s best race of the season took place in the Olympics. In the World Cup she finished third two times, in the giant slalom in Hafjell-Kvitfjell and in Åre. This winner of slalom and giant slalom World Cups in 2004-2005 is certainly convinced that the next season will be successful too. - The end of the season left me with a good feeling. Hunger for success is big. The next season I focus on the World Cup in general and the World Championships in Åre. I hope to improve my placing in the World Cup so that Exel will accompany me to the podium even more often, Poutiainen says. Mr. Aki Karihtala, Senior Vice President of Exel’s Sport Division is confident that the cooperation will result in a bigger market share for Exel. - Continuing the cooperation strengthens Exel’s strategy to increase our market share on the alpine pole markets. Kalle and Tanja are truly international top-ranking athletes and they both fit well with the building of our brand with their very own personalities. With these agreements and the latest collection changes, we will see significant outcomes. Further information: Mr. Aki Karihtala, Senior Vice President, Exel Sport Division, tel. +358 50 590 6752 or aki.karihtala@exel.fi Exel Sports News web magazine reports on Exel athletes undertakings throughout the year. In the spring focus will be on for example the Floorball World Championships. Exel is the main partner of the Championships to be organized in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2006. Photographs of Exel athletes and Exel Sports Oy’s official releases can be found in the Media section of Exel Sports News. Exelsportsnews.net can be found in the internet at www.exelsportsnews.net. Exel Sports Oy handles Exel Oyj’s consumer products’ (poles and floorball products) marketing, sales, logistics and product development globally. The company employs some 40 persons. Exel Sports is a fully owned subsidiary of the parent company Exel Oyj. The Group’s 11 factories are located in Finland, Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Germany and the UK. International operations account for some 85% of the Group’s net sales which were EUR 91 million in 2005. The Group employs 600 persons and its share is quoted on Helsinki Stock Exchange Main list. Further information: www.exelsports.net.