Arsi Harju

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Arsi Harju ( Arsi Ilari Harju ; born March 18, 1974 in Kurikka ) is a former Finnish shot putter .

In 1993 Arsi Harju was third in the shot put at the Junior European Championships. At the 1996 Olympics , he could not qualify for the final.

Harju won his first medal in the adult class at the European Indoor Championships in 1998 when he finished third with 20.53 m. Behind the German Oliver-Sven Buder (21.47 m), Harjus compatriot Mika Halvari won silver with 20.59 m. At the European Open Air Championships in the same year, Harju was ninth with 19.54 m. After a fifth place with 20.38 m at the World Indoor Championships in 1999 he was able to qualify for the finals at the World Championships in Seville for the first time in the summer , but then failed to make a valid push in the final.

At the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, Harju set his personal best in qualifying with 21.39 m. In the final he won with 21.29 m in the second attempt in front of the Americans Adam Nelson with 21.21 m and John Godina with 21.20 m. With his win eighty years after Ville Pörhölä, Harju was able to bring the second gold medal in the shot put to Finland.

In 2001 Harju also had a good competition at the World Championships . Behind John Godina (21.87 m) and Adam Nelson (21.24 m), Harju won bronze with 20.93 m. He was just two inches ahead of the Spaniard Manuel Martínez and the Yugoslav Dragan Perić .

In 2002 Harju finished fourth at the 2002 European Championships with 20.47 m, 12 cm behind the German Ralf Bartels in third place. Harju also came fourth at the 2003 World Indoor Championships . At 20.96 m he was 17 cm behind bronze and 28 cm behind gold.

Arsi Harju, who switched to the rotary joint technique in 1996, was easily recognizable in the stadium by his outfit. With his red-blonde beard and a headscarf, Arsi Harju presented himself as a mixture of Viking and pirate in all major competitions. With a height of 1.83 m, his competition weight was 125 kg.

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personal data
SURNAME Harju, Arsi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Harju, Arsi Ilari
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Finnish shot putter
DATE OF BIRTH March 18, 1974
PLACE OF BIRTH Kurikka