The Finnish Olympic Committee has confirmed that Lehtimäki will remain in charge of the unit until 2024, with an option to extend his stay for a further two years.

During his first four years at the Top Sports Unit, Lehtimäki said the emphasis had been on strengthening the foundation of the top-level sports system and creating the conditions for success.

"We have built a common will and common values," said Lehtimäki.

"We have focused our resources and increased our expertise.

"In addition, we have been able to nurture a new generation of successful athletes who have walked the path of the sports academy.

"A country the size of Finland can only gain an international competitive advantage by creating a common approach and committing to it.

"Now we have a system whose first results are beginning to show and on which it is good to build the future."

Finland claimed two bronze medals at last year’s Olympics in Tokyo courtesy of swimmer Matti Mattsson and boxer Mira Potkonen.

Cross-country skier Iivo Niskanen bagged three of Finland’s eight medals at the recent Winter Olympics in Beijing, with gold in the men’s 15 kilometres classical, silver in the men’s team sprint and bronze in the men’s 30km skiathlon.

The nation's other Olympic title was won by the men’s ice hockey team as Finland earned two golds, two silvers and four bronzes at Beijing 2022.

The Top Sports Unit manages elite Finnish sport through four different programmes, including the top stage, sports academy, competition and competence.

While the sports are responsible for their own success plan and for developing their operations, academies and coaching centres are aimed at providing them with environments to help athletes, coaches and experts be successful.

"Thank you to the Board of the Finnish Olympic Committee for trusting in the work of the entire Finnish top sports network," said Lehtimäki.

"It is extremely important to me that I get to work with enthusiastic and knowledgeable people.

"The Finnish Olympic Committee, sports federations, training centres, sports academies and research institutes now have a strong common vision and strategy on the basis of which results can be achieved in top Finnish sports.

"Our priority is to continue to increase the number of professional athletes, professional coaches and professional experts in the entire range of top sports.

"Our special focus is on the strong concentration of this professional competence in sports academies and coaching centres.

"Through increasing professionalism, we are naturally striving for increasing success in both Olympic and non-Olympic sports."

Finnish Olympic Committee President Jan Vapaavuori said he was delighted to see Finland achieve strong results at recent Olympic Games thanks to the work of Lehtimäki.

"The foundation of the system is now in order and the success has been turned on the rising curve, which we enjoyed at the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics, among others,” added Vapaavuori.

"We wanted to ensure continuity, so choosing Lehtimäki was an easy decision for us.

"From this, it is good to develop operations towards the success of the coming years."