Jouko SALOMAKI

Along with Tapio Sipilä, Jouko Salomäki was the most decorated Finnish wrestler in the 1980s. Wrestling as a Greco-Roman welterweight most of his career, Salomäki won the 1984 Olympic title and a 1987 World title. He also won bronze at the 1983 and 1985 World Championships, silver at the 1987 European Championships and bronze at the 1986 European Championships. Salomäki earned two Nordic titles (1982, 1984), one Finnish Greco-Roman flyweight title (1977) and seven Finnish Greco-Roman welterweight titles (1980, 1982-85, 1987, 1989). In 1990, at Helsinki Airport, Salomäki was arrested in possession of anabolic steroids, with 200 tablets and 40 ampules found in his luggage, and received a two-year ban from sports, which effectively ended his wrestling career. After his retirement, Salomäki founded earthmoving equipment dealer company E-P Maansiirtokone OY, which sells Hitachi heavy earthmoving equipment.