Kimmo Kinnunen

Kimmo Paavali Kinnunen (born March 31, 1968 in Äänekoski ) is a Finnish athlete who was successful in the javelin throw between 1986 and 1996 . Since he had strong competition in his own country, he could not be the Finnish champion once. But he was successful at world championships with a gold and a silver medal.

He is the son of javelin world record holder Jorma Kinnunen .

Kimmo Kinnunen first appeared in 1986 when he finished fifth at the Junior World Championships in Athens. Two years later he surpassed the 80-meter mark in qualification at the XIV Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988 and achieved his personal best with 80.24 m, which would have meant seventh place in the final. There he threw only 78.04 m and was tenth. At the European Championships in Split in 1990 he had a similar experience: When he entered the competition with a best performance of 83.10 m from the previous year, he only managed a throw of 79.00 m, which brought him to 8th place. A year later, at the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991 , his big hour struck: After he had already increased his personal best to 85.46 m in the previous season, he managed a further improvement in qualifying by a full three meters to 88.48 m. When his spear flew to 90.82 m on the first attempt in the final battle, his jubilation was so great that he skipped the second attempt. No other thrower came over 90 meters that day, and his compatriot and arch-rival Seppo Räty was defeated.

In the following years, Kimmo Kinnunen could not always meet the high expectations. At the XV. At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona , his only valid litter initially brought him to third place, from which, however, he was ousted in the fourth round by the British Steve Backley . In the meantime, he succeeded in taking revenge at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart the following year . On the 78.86 m achieved in the qualification, he followed in the final with his season best of 84.78 m, which was only exceeded by the Czech Jan Železný .

At his last XVI. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta he also managed a throw over 82 meters, which was only enough for 7th place.

Successes and placements

• XIV. Olympic Games 1988 in Seoul : Tenth with 78.04 m (victory distance of his compatriot Tapio Korjus : 84.28 m)
• 1990 European Championships in Split : eighth with 79.00 m (victory distance of the British Steve Backley : 87.30 m)
• 1991 World Championships in Tokyo : GOLD with 90.82 m in front of his compatriot Seppo Räty with 88.12 m and Vladimir Sassimowitsch ( USSR ) with 87.08 m
• XV. Olympic Games 1992 in Barcelona : fourth with 82.62 m (victory distance of the Czech Jan Železný : 89.66 m)
• World Championships 1993 in Stuttgart : SILVER with 84.78 m behind the Czech Jan Železný with 85.98 m and in front of the British Mick Hill with 82.90 m
• XVI. Olympic Games 1996 in Atlanta : Seventh with 84.02 m (victory distance of the Czech Jan Železný : 88.16 m)

Performance development

year	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
Width (m)	80.24	83.10	81.46	90.82	83.42	84.78	85.42	85.32	82.48	84.23	85.96

Web links

• http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=357
• http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=358