Inspiration for this TV film is the events of 2001 Skiing World Championships in Lahti, where six Finnish skiers got caught in the doping tests. There is even clear similarity in names of character Mikko E. Mäntylä and the real-life (now former) ski federation leader Paavo M. Petäjä - both "mänty" and "petäjä" are Finnish words for pine tree.