Senja PUSULA

Senja Pusula made her first international appearance at the 1964 Winter Olympics, where she won a bronze as a member of the Finnish relay team and was sixth in the 10 km and ninth in the 5 km. At the 1966 World Championships she was fifth in the relay, eighth at 5 km and tenth over 10 km. At the 1968 Winter Olympics, Pusula again did not medal, placing fourth in the relay and eighth and 12th in the 5 and 10 km, respectively. Pusula won her last international championship medal at the 1970 World Championships, where she won a bronze in the relay and made her last international appearance at the 1972 Winter Olympics. In 1966 Pusula won the 10 km at the Lahti Ski Games and in 1968 she won the 10 km at both the Swedish Ski Games and the 5 km at Holmenkollen. Pusula also won five Finnish titles – at 5 km in 1965 and 1966 and over 10 km in 1965, 1967 and 1968. By profession Pusula was a salesman and worked as a board member of the Finnish Skiing Federation from 1976-82. Later she also ran a cattle farm with her husband Ilpo Nuolikivi, who had competed at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Nordic combined.