Oikarainen had its first international success in 1959 with a win at the Holmenkollen Ski Festival over 15 km. In March 1962 he was third at the Lahti Ski Games over 15 km. In 1965 he won the relay at the Svenska Skidspelen and the Lahti Ski Games over 15 km. At the Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo in 1966 , he won the silver medal with the relay and finished eleventh over 30 km. Two years later he won the bronze medal with the Finnish relay at the Winter Olympics in Grenoble . He also took tenth place over 15 km and seventh place over 30 km. In the same year he came third at the Svenska Skidspelen with the relay and second place over 30 km. The following year he took third place over 15 km at the Lahti Ski Games and third place with the relay at the Svenska Skidspelen. At the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1970 in Vysoké Tatry , he won the gold medal over 50 km and was thus athlete of the year in Finland . In the same year he took third place over 15 km and second place over 50 km at the Lahti Ski Games. He completed his last international competition at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo . There he competed in the 50 km run, which he ended prematurely. In Finnish championships he won nine times with the relay (1959, 1967-1973, 1975), twice over 15 km (1961, 1965), twice over 50 km (1970, 1972) and once over 30 km (1971).
Others
Oikarainen was a sergeant in the Finnish Border Guard. He had five children.
Finland
