Ristanen first appeared internationally at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo . In the individual competitions over 30 and 50 kilometers he reached places 17 and 15. The bronze medal, however, he won with his colleagues Juha Mieto , Harri Kirvesniemi and Aki Karvonen in the relay competition over four times 10 kilometers. At the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary Ristanen achieved his best individual Olympic result with seventh place over 50 kilometers. In the race over 30 kilometers he placed 27th. The Finnish relay team with Jari Laukkanen , Kirvesniemi, Järi Räsänen and Ristanen finished eighth.
Furthermore, Ristanen achieved a top ten result in the individual race over 50 kilometers at the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1987 when he was fifth. In the season with Laukkanen, Ari Hynninen and Kirvesniemi, he was sixth. Ristanen won his only World Cup medal in 1989 for second place, again in the relay competition with his teammates Aki Karvonen , Kirvesniemi and Räsänen.
In the cross-country skiing world cup he achieved a total of three podium places in individual races: one runner-up each over 30 and 15 kilometers and a third place over a 30-kilometer course. In the overall World Cup he was tenth in 1986/87 and 1987/88 .
Ristanen is a trained engineer and after his active career worked as a cross-country commentator for Finnish television. He is married to the cross-country skier Eija Hyytiäinen .
Finland
