Veli Selim Saarinen (16 September 1902 – 12 October 1969) was a Finnish cross-country skier who competed in the 1928 and 1932 Olympics.

In 1932, he won a gold in the 50 km and a bronze in the 18 km event, becoming the first Finnish cross-country skier to win an Olympic gold medal.

In 1934, he retired from competitions and later coached the German (1934–1937) and Finnish (1937–1968) national cross-country skiing teams.

From 1947 to 1968, he also served as a chief executive of the Finnish Skiing Federation.

[1] All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).