Finland’s Oldest
Olympic Medallists Receive Government
Awards
Chris Turner
for the IAAF
16 November 2001 – Helsinki - Kaarlo
“Kalle” Tuominen, silver medallist in
the 1936 Olympic 3,000m steeplechase,
who at 93 years of age is the oldest
living Finnish Olympic athlete in any
sport, was one of two senior track and
field athletes, among a group of ten
sportsmen, to be honoured with Finnish
Government awards last week.
The other athlete to be recognized was 87 year old Katri “Kaisa” Parviainen, who took the silver in the 1948 Olympic women’s javelin, to become the first ever female Finnish Olympic track and field medallist.
The “Pro-Sports” Awards, which are accompanied by 100,000 Finnish Marks (approx €15,000) for each recipient were made by culture minister Suvi Linden on 9th November.
Kalle Tuominen, a farmer, was born in Somerniemi on 9th February 1908. Despite a very good hurdling technique which won him national championship medals over 400m hurdles, Tuominen is most remembered for falling at the last water jump in the Berlin Olympic steeplechase final, quickly regaining his feet to capture the silver medal with a desperate sprint to the finish line.
Those were the days of the early Finnish distance running hegemony and Finland finished with a double medal celebration, as Volmari Iso-Hollo won the race retaining his Olympic title from 1932. Iso-Hollo (9:03.8) beat Tuominen (9:06.8) by just three seconds and both men ran under what was then the world best (9:08.2).
Kaisa Parviainen, a technical drawer and a talented concert violinist, was born in Kuopio on 3rd December 1912. Despite the renowned success of Finland’s male athletes, Parviainen’s 1948 silver medal at the javelin, as well as being the first Olympic medal ever won by a female Finnish track and field athlete in any event is, still to this day, one of only three Olympic athletics medals to have been won by Finnish women. Heli Rantanen’s 1996 gold and Tiina Lillak’s silver medal in 1984, also in the javelin, are the other medallists.
A multi talented athlete, Parviainen also set Finnish records in the discus and long jump and competed in sprints, shot, as well playing the Finnish equivalent of Baseball, “Pesapalloilu”.
