The Finnish player, who has won the Indoor CEV Champions League with French club Cannes twice, has already been given a spot at the Baku 2015 European Games with her partner Taru Lahti. Finland will have two women's Beach Volleyball teams with sisters Emilia and Erika Nyström being the others.
The 35-year-old Lehtonen will actually be at home in a way when Baku 2015 starts as the Kangasala native has played with the Azerrail Baku club since 2013. And things in the Azerbaijani capital have changed greatly since she first visited the city in the Champions League with Italian club Bergamo in 2006.
"Baku at that time seemed like barren old Russia," Lehtonen told the Helsingin Sanomat.
"Things have moved tremendously forward. Baku resembles Dubai, where big money helps come up with amazing solutions."
Lehtonen believes Baku 2015 will be a fascinating event, especially knowing that Beach Volleyball will be included in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, saying: "Baku is a good milestone and experience for Rio."
The 2015 FIVB Beach Beach Volleyball season starts on 21 April with the Fuzhou Open in China. The event runs until 26 April.
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