Markku TUOKKO

Markku Tuokko competed at both discus throw and shot put, but was far more successful with the discus. The high point of his career was the 1978 European Championships, where he won silver in the discus throw. He was also the Universiade Champion with the discus in 1975 and won silver at the 1979 Universiade. Tuokko also competed at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics, placing 17th in 1976 and 9th in 1980, and at the 1974 and 1982 European Championships, placing 16th in 1974 and receiving no mark in 1982, all in discus throw. In the shot put, Tuokko’s best performance was fourth at the 1979 European Indoor Championships. Domestically Tuokko won Finnish discus titles in 1977 and 1979-82. Tuokko’s athletics career was marred by doping use. At the 1977 European Cup, Tuokko, Seppo Hovinen and non-Olympian Asko Pesonen were caught for using anabolic steroids. At first all three were banned for life by the IAAF, but they were all reinstated in August 1978 after a successful appeal by the Finnish Athletics Federation. Outside of sports, Tuokko worked as a high school teacher in Tampere and Lohja, where he also had a small farm.

Personal Best: DT – 68.12 (1979).