Harri KIRVESNIEMI

Harri Kirvesniemi had a very long career, over 20 years, as a competitive skier, but his career ended unexpectedly after the 2001 World Championships with a doping scandal. During his long career Kirvesniemi competed in six Winter Olympics between 1980 and 1998 and won a relay bronze at every Olympics except 1988 Calgary. He won his sixth Olympic bronze in the 15 km at the 1984 Olympics. With his six Olympic bronzes he shares a record of most Olympic bronzes with Heikki Savolainen, Aleksey Nemov and Franziska van Almsick, but they have won other Olympic medals as well. Kirvesniemi also competed at every World Championships between 1982 and 2001. His only title came in 1989, when he won the 15 km classical race. At the Worlds, he also won three silvers in the relay (1989, 1995, 1997) and four bronzes (1982 in the 15 km and relay, 1985 in the 30 km and 1991 in the relay). Kirvesniemi also won two bronzes at the 1981-82 and 1983-84 World Cup. Kirvesniemi made his last international appearance at the 2001 World Championships, where he was fourth in the 15 km classical race and also was a member of the Finnish relay team that finished first, but which was disqualified because Janne Immonen had tested positive for doping. After the World Championships, it was revealed that several other Finnish skiers, including Kirvesniemi, had tested positive for erythropoietin. Kirvesniemi was awarded the Holmenkollen Medal in 1998. In 1984 Kirvesniemi married the well-known cross-country skier Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen. After his sporting career ended Kirvesniemi has worked as the product manager with Karhu Sports.