Kaarlo Kangasniemi

Kaarlo Olavi Kangasniemi (born February 4, 1941 in Kullaa , Leineperi , Ulvila ) is a former Finnish weightlifter .

Career

Kaarlo Kangasniemi started lifting weights in Pori at the age of 16 . He came from a large family. Out of eight brothers, seven became weightlifters. Kaarlo was the most successful of these, only his brother Kauko, who was five years younger than him, also had some international successes. Kaarlo's greatest success was the 1968 Olympic victory in Mexico City in the middle heavyweight division. Kaarlo was a member of the Pori sports club and was employed as a caretaker at a school.

After his career ended, a small museum was set up in his honor in Kullaa, and he was also inducted into the "Hall of Fame" by the International Weightlifting Federation (IMF).

International successes / all-around

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, EM = European Championship, Ls = light heavyweight, Ms = middle heavyweight, competitions up to 1972 in the Olympic three-way fight, consisting of pushing, tearing and pushing, from 1973 in a duel consisting of tearing and pushing)

• 1964, 4th place , EM in Moscow , Ls, with 430 kg, behind Géza Tóth , Hungary , 455 kg, Viktor Schichow , USSR , 445 kg and Marcel Paterni , France , 440 kg;
• 1964, 7th place , OS in Tokyo , Ls, with 450 kg, winner: Rudolf Plukfelder , USSR, 475 kg, ahead of Tóth, 467.5 kg and Győző Veres , Hungary, 467.5 kg;
• 1965, 1st place , Scandinavian Championship, Ls, with 432.5 kg, ahead of Nielsen, Denmark , 380 kg and Larsen, Norway , 360 kg;
• 1965, unplaced , EM in Sofia , Ls, with 3 failed attempts in the tear;
• 1966, 6th place , WM + EM in Berlin , Ls, with 440 kg, behind Wladimir Beljajew , USSR, 485 kg, Veres, 485 kg, Hans Zdražila , CSSR , 465 kg, Karl Arnold , GDR , 460 kg and Norbert Ozimek , Poland , 455 kg;
• 1968, 3rd place , EM in Leningrad , Ms, with 490 kg, behind Jaan Talts , USSR, 507.5 kg and Bo Johansson , Sweden , 495 kg;
• 1968, gold medal , OS in Mexico City , Ms, with 517.5 kg, ahead of Talts, 507.5 kg, Marek Gołąb , Poland, 495 kg and Johansson, 492.5 kg;
• 1969, 2nd place , Baltic Cup in Zinnowitz , Ms, with 500 kg, behind Arnold, 500 kg and in front of Tóth, 495 kg;
• 1969, 1st place , WM + EM in Sofia , Ms, with 515 kg, ahead of Johansson, 500 kg and Tóth, 495 kg;
• 1970, 1st place , Grand Prix of the USSR in Minsk , Ms, with 520 kg, ahead of Vasily Kolotow , USSR, 510 kg and Pachomow, USSR, 507.5 kg;
• 1970, 1st place , EM in Szombathely , Ms, with 530 kg, ahead of Kolotow, 527.5 kg and Johansson, 525 kg;
• 1971, 2nd place , World Championship in Lima , Ls, with 490 kg, behind Boris Pavlov , USSR, 495 kg and above György Horváth , Hungary, 485 kg;
• 1972, 3rd place , EM in Konstanza , Ls, with 495 kg, behind Pavlov, 512.5 kg and Leif Jensen , Norway, 505 kg;
• 1972, 6th place , OS in Munich , Ls, with 480 kg, behind Jensen, 507.5 kg, Ozimek, 497.5 kg, Horváth, 495 kg, Bernhard Radtke , GDR, 492.5 kg and Jakovou, Greece , 490 kg;
• 1973, 2nd place , Grand Prix of the USSR in Tashkent , Ls, with 347.5 kg, behind David Rigert , USSR, 377.5 kg and in front of Radtke, 340 kg;
• 1973, unplaced , EM in Madrid , Ms, after 3 failed attempts in the tear

Medals individual disciplines

(awarded since 1969)

Kaarlo Kangasniemi won a World Cup gold and a World Cup silver medal, as well as three EM gold, two EM silver and two EM bronze medals in the individual disciplines of pushing, tearing and pushing. In addition, the Olympic victory in 1968 in the all-around competition also counts as a world title.

World records

(all medium-heavy weights, up to 90 kg body weight, set up)

in pressing:

• 175.5 kg, 1968 in Pori ,
• 176.5 kg, 1969 in Riihimäki ,
• 177.5 kg, 1969 in Pori,
• 180 kg, 1969 in Lahti

in tears:

• 155.5 kg, 1968 in Erijärvi,
• 157.5 kg, 1968 in Helsinki ,
• 158 kg, 1968 in Mexico City ,
• 158.5 kg, 1969 in Helsinki,
• 160.5 kg, 1969 in Pori,
• 161 kg, 1969 in Kiruna

in the Olympic three-way battle:

• 505 kg, 1968 in Pori,
• 515 kg, 1968 in Kouvola ,
• 517.5 kg, 1968 in Helsinki,
• 522.5 kg, 1968 in Helsinki,
• 527.5 kg, in Pori,
• 530 kg, 1970 in Szombathely