FINNISH JAVELIN POWER,ALSO IN WOMEN: HELI RANTANEN OLYMPIC WINNER from FINLAND(SUOMI-FINLAND)

Heli Rantanen

Heli Rantanen (born February 26, 1970 in Lammi) is a Finnish javelin thrower, who won the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. She won with a throw of 67.94 meters, more than two meters ahead of the silver medalist, Louise McPaul of Australia.

Rantanen was the first Nordic woman to become an Olympic champion in athletics.

[edit] Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing Finland
1990	European Championships	Split, Yugoslavia	19th	54.02 m
1992	Olympic Games	Barcelona, Spain	6th	62.34 m
1993	World Championships	Stuttgart, Germany	11th	53.14 m
1995	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	4th	65.04 m
1996	Olympic Games	Atlanta, United States	1st	67.94 m
1997	World Championships	Athens, Greece	10th	62.64 m
1998	European Championships	Budapest, Hungary	5th	62.34 m

[edit] References, external link

• Sporting-heroes.net - [1]

Awards
Preceded by Jari Litmanen	Finnish Sportspersonality of the year 1996	Succeeded by Mika Myllylä
Preceded by Sari Laine	Finnish Sportswoman of the year 1996	Succeeded by Raija Koskinen

[hide] v • d • e Olympic Champions in Women's Javelin Throw 1932: Babe Didrikson (USA) • 1936: Tilly Fleischer (GER) • 1948: Herma Bauma (AUT) •1952: Dana Zátopková (TCH) • 1956: Inese Jaunzeme (URS) • 1960: Elvīra Ozoliņa (URS) •1964: Mihaela Peneş (ROM) • 1968: Angéla Németh (HUN) • 1972: Ruth Fuchs (GDR) •1976: Ruth Fuchs (GDR) • 1980: María Colón (CUB) • 1984: Tessa Sanderson (GBR) •1988: Petra Felke (GDR) • 1992: Silke Renk (GER) • 1996: Heli Rantanen (FIN) •2000: Trine Hattestad (NOR) • 2004: Osleidys Menéndez (CUB) •2008: Barbora Špotáková (CZE)

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This article about a Finnish Olympic medalist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

FINNISH JAVELIN POWER,ALSO IN WOMEN: PÄIVI ALAFRANTTI EUROPEAN CHAMPION from FINLAND(SUOMI-FINLAND)

Päivi Alafrantti

Päivi Jaana Maarit Alafrantti (born 8 May 1964 in Tervola, Lappi) is a retired female javelin thrower from Finland.

[edit] Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing Finland
1988	Olympic Games	Seoul, South Korea	10th	58.20 m
1989	Universiade	Duisburg, West Germany	3rd
1990	European Championships	Split, Yugoslavia	1st	67.68 m
1991	World Championships	Tokyo, Japan	8th
1992	Olympic Games	Barcelona, Spain	—	NM
1993	World Championships	Stuttgart, Germany	13th
1994	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	18th	53.28 m

[edit] External links

• IAAF profile for Päivi Alafrantti
• sports-reference
• http://www.tilastopaja.org/db/fi/atw.php?ID=10489

Awards
Preceded by Marjo Matikainen	Finnish Sportspersonality of the year 1990	Succeeded by Kimmo Kinnunen
Preceded by Marjo Matikainen	Finnish Sportswoman of the Year 1990	Succeeded by Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi

[hide] v • d • e European Champions in Women's Javelin Throw 1938: Lisa Gelius (GER) • 1946: Klavdiya Mayuchaya (URS) • 1950: Natalya Smirnitskaya (URS) • 1954: Dana Zátopková (TCH) • 1958: Dana Zátopková (TCH) • 1962: Elvīra Ozoliņa (URS) • 1966: Marion Lüttge (GDR) • 1969: Angéla Németh (HUN) • 1971: Daniela Jaworska (POL) • 1974: Ruth Fuchs (GDR) • 1978: Ruth Fuchs (GDR) • 1982: Anna Verouli (GRE) • 1986: Fatima Whitbread (GBR) • 1990: Päivi Alafrantti (FIN) • 1994: Trine Hattestad (NOR) • 1998: Tanja Damaske (GER) • 2002: Mirela Manjani (GRE) • 2006: Steffi Nerius (GER)

This biographical article relating to Finnish athletics is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

FINNISH JAVELIN POWER,ALSO IN WOMEN: TIINA LILLAK 72,40 WORLD CHAMPION from FINLAND(SUOMI-FINLAND)

Tiina Lillak

Medal record
Tiina Lillak
Women's Athletics
Competitor for Finland
Olympic Games
Silver	1984 Los Angeles	Javelin
World Championships
Gold	1983 Helsinki	Javelin

Tiina Lillak (born April 15, 1961 in Helsinki) is a former Finnish javelin thrower, who was among the best female javelin throwers in the world in the early and mid 1980s. While she has been credited for starting a string of successes for Finnish female Javelin thrower, her more notable accomplishments include winning a world championship and an Olympic medal. After retiring from athletics, Lillak began working as a masseuse.

[edit] Timeline

1982:

• On July 29 Lillak threw for a new world record in Helsinki: 72.40 meters. However, the record was broken the following September when Greek thrower Sofia Sakorafa reached 74.20 meters.
• Lillak finished fourth in the 1982 European Championships in Athletics, which were held in Athens.

1983:

• On June 13 Lillak again broke the world record, throwing 74.76 meters in Tampere. This distance remained a world record until June 1985, and also stood as a national record for Finland until 1999, when the javelin type was altered and the former records were wiped clean.
• In the 1983 World Championships in Athletics held in Helsinki, Lillak became the champion in front of her home crowd when she threw for 70.82 meters (enough for the win) on her last attempt leaving Britain's 2nd placed Fatima Whitbread in tears at Trackside as she went running off down the track celebrating with the ecstatic crowd. The whole season was a success for Lillak, who threw over 70 meters in 16 separate competitions and didn't lose a single time.

1984:

• Although Lillak had only taken part in three competitions earlier in the year, she still managed to earn an Olympic silver medal at 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.

1986:

• Finished fourth in the 1986 European Championships in Athletics.

1987:

• Finished sixth in the 1987 World Championships in Athletics.

1988:

• In the Seoul Olympics, Lillak did not pass the qualifying round.

1989:

• Lillak participated in five competitions.

1990:

• Won the last of her seven Finnish national championships.
• Finished tenth in the 1990 European Championships in Athletics.

1991:

• In the 1991 World Championships in Athletics, Lillak did not pass the qualifying round (in fact, she did not throw over 62 meters the entire season).

1992:

• Retired from athletics.

[edit] External links

• Lillak at the sporting-heroes.net site
• All of Lillak's competition results
• Last and winning throw in 1983 World Championships in Helsinki (video)

Awards
Preceded by Keke Rosberg	Finnish Sportspersonality of the year 1983	Succeeded by Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen
Preceded by Hilkka Riihivuori	Finnish Sportswoman of the Year 1983	Succeeded by Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen
Sporting positions
Preceded by Sofia Sakorafa	Women's Javelin Best Year Performance 1983	Succeeded by Petra Felke