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Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi facts for kids

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Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi
Country  Finland
Born
Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen

(1955-09-10) 10 September 1955 (age 69)
Simpele, South Karelia, Finland
Spouse(s)
Harri Kirvesniemi
(m. 1984; div. 2011)
Ski club Simpeleen Urheilijat
World Cup career
Seasons 10 – (1982–1985, 1988–1989, 1991–1994)
Individual wins 11
Team wins 1
Indiv. podiums 27
Team podiums 8
Indiv. starts 64
Team starts 15
Overall titles 2 – (1983, 1984)
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing  Finland
Olympic Games
Gold 1984 Sarajevo 5 km
Gold 1984 Sarajevo 10 km
Gold 1984 Sarajevo 20 km
Bronze 1984 Sarajevo 4 × 5 km relay
Bronze 1988 Calgary 4 × 5 km relay
Bronze 1994 Lillehammer 5 km classical
Bronze 1994 Lillehammer 30 km classical
World Championships
Gold 1978 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay
Gold 1989 Lahti 10 km classical
Gold 1989 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay
Silver 1985 Seefeld 5 km
Silver 1985 Seefeld 10 km
Silver 1989 Lahti 15 km classical
Silver 1991 Val di Fiemme 5 km classical
Silver 1993 Falun 15 km classical

Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi (née Hämäläinen; born 10 September 1955) is a Finnish former cross-country skier.

Career

She was the big figure at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, winning all three individual cross-country skiing events (5, 10 and 20 km), and a bronze medal for Finland in the relay. In the process, she became the most successful athlete at the 1984 Winter Olympics. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, she won another relay bronze medal, and at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, she won two more bronze medals in the 5 and 30 km.

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, Kirvesniemi won three golds in the 10 km (1989) and 4 × 5 km relay (1978, 1989), and five silvers in the 5 km (1985, 1991), 10 km (1985) and 15 km (1989, 1993). She also won the 20 km double pursuit at the 1989 Holmenkollen ski festival.

Kirvesniemi won the Holmenkollen medal in 1989. Her husband, Harri, would be awarded the Holmenkollen medal in 1998. They were the third husband-and-wife pair that won this prestigious honor. They are the only married couple to have both competed at six Olympics, and are among the only eight Finns to have done so - the others being Janne Ahonen (ski jumping), Raimo Helminen (ice hockey), Teemu Selänne (ice hockey), Kyra Kyrklund (dressage), Juha Hirvi (shooting), and Hannu Manninen (nordic combined).

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Olympic Games

  • 7 medals – (3 gold, 4 bronze)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   20 km   30 km   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
1976 20 22 N/A N/A N/A N/A
1980 24 19 18 N/A N/A N/A N/A 5
1984 28 Gold Gold N/A N/A Gold N/A Bronze
1988 32 5 9 N/A N/A 11 N/A Bronze
1992 36 31 N/A 6 DNS N/A 4
1994 38 Bronze N/A 13 N/A Bronze 4

World Championships

  • 8 medals – (3 gold, 5 silver)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km 
 classical 
 10 km 
 freestyle 
 15 km   Pursuit   20 km   30 km   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
1978 22 23 N/A N/A N/A 16 N/A Gold
1982 26 17 11 N/A N/A N/A 17 N/A 4
1985 29 Silver Silver N/A N/A N/A 12 N/A 4
1989 33 N/A Gold Silver N/A N/A 8 Gold
1991 35 Silver N/A 12 N/A N/A 4
1993 37 14 N/A N/A Silver N/A 4

World Cup

Season titles

  • 2 titles – (2 overall)
Season
Discipline
1983 Overall
1984 Overall

Season standings

 Season   Age  Overall
1982 26 18
1983 27 1
1984 28 1
1985 29 10
1988 32 3
1989 33 6
1991 35 17
1992 36 10
1993 37 8
1994 38 10

Individual podiums

  • 11 victories
  • 27 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1  1982–83  12 December 1982 Italy Val di Sole, Italy 5 km Individual World Cup 2nd
2 25 February 1983 Sweden Falun, Sweden 10 km Individual World Cup 2nd
3 5 March 1983 Finland Lahti, Finland 5 km Individual World Cup 1st
4 12 March 1983 Norway Oslo, Norway 20 km Individual World Cup 2nd
5 20 March 1983 United States Anchorage, United States 10 km Individual World Cup 1st
6 27 March 1983 Canada Labrador City, Canada 10 km Individual World Cup 1st
7 1983–84 17 December 1983 France Autrans, France 10 km Individual World Cup 1st
8 9 February 1984 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sarajevo, Yugoslavia 10 km Individual Olympic Games 1st
9 12 February 1984 5 km Individual Olympic Games 1st
10 18 February 1984 20 km Individual Olympic Games 1st
11 25 February 1984 Sweden Falun, Sweden 10 km Individual World Cup 3rd
12 8 March 1984 Norway Oslo, Norway 20 km Individual World Cup 2nd
13  1984–85  19 February 1985 Austria Seefeld, Austria 10 km Individual World Championships 2nd
14 21 February 1985 5 km Individual World Championships 2nd
15 1987–88 19 December 1987 West Germany Reit im Winkl, West Germany 5 km Individual F World Cup 1st
16 17 March 1988 Norway Oslo, Norway 30 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
17 1988–89 17 February 1989 Finland Lahti, Finland 10 km Individual C World Championships 1st
18 21 February 1989 15 km Individual C World Championships 2nd
19 4 March 1989 Norway Oslo, Norway 20 km Individual C World Cup 1st
20  1990–91  12 February 1991 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 5 km Individual C World Championships 2nd
21  1991–92  4 January 1992 Russia Kavgolovo, Russia 15 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
22 7 March 1992 Sweden Funäsdalen, Sweden 5 km Individual C World Cup 1st
23  1992–93  9 January 1993 Switzerland Ulrichen, Switzerland 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
24 19 February 1993 Sweden Falun, Sweden 15 km Individual C World Championships 2nd
25  1993–94  8 January 1994 Russia Kavgolovo, Russia 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
26 15 February 1994 Norway Lillehammer, Norway 5 km Individual C Olympic Games 3rd
27 24 February 1994 30 km Individual C Olympic Games 3rd

Team podiums

  • 1 victory
  • 8 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammates
1  1983–84  15 February 1984 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sarajevo, Yugoslavia 4 × 5 km Relay Olympic Games 3rd Määttä / Hyytiäinen / Matikainen
2 26 February 1984 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay World Cup 2nd Hyytiäinen / Määttä / Savolainen
3  1984–85  10 March 1985 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay World Cup 3rd Määttä / Hyytiäinen / Matikainen
4  1987–88  21 February 1988 Canada Calgary, Canada 4 × 5 km Relay F Olympic Games 3rd Määttä / Matikainen / Savolainen
5 13 March 1988 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Matikainen / Hyytiäinen / Määttä
6 1988–89 23 February 1989 Finland Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships 1st Määttä / Savolainen / Matikainen
7  1990–91  10 March 1991 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 3rd Lukkarinen / Lahtinen / Savolainen
8  1991–92  8 March 1992 Sweden Funäsdalen, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 3rd Riikola / Lukkarinen / Savolainen
9  1993–94  4 March 1994 Finland Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 3rd Lukkarinen / Pyykkönen / Lahtinen

Note: Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi para niños

  • List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games
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