Mikko Huhtala

Mikko Huhtala Kustaa ( born March 30, 1952 in Lapua ) is a former Finnish wrestler and winner of the bronze medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow in Greco-Roman wrestling in the welterweight division.

Career

Mikko Huhtala grew up in Lapua and began as a seven year old boy at the local club Ringer " Virkia " with the rings. He developed into an outstanding wrestler in the Greco-Roman style, which is due to the coach Eero Nikkari in the first place. His first major success on the international wrestling mat garnered Mikko 1970, when he was in the class up to 65 kg body weight was in Huskvarna Vice European Junior Champion. In Finland, Mikko was struggling at the beginning of the 1970s, with strong competition. Eero Tapio and Matti Laakso dominated in this period, the light - welterweight respectively. His first medal at the Finnish Championships won Mikko 1974 with the 2nd place in the welterweight division. The first Finnish championship he won in 1976 back in the welterweight division.

1974 celebrated Mikko Huhtala a first success in an international championship in the seniors. In Rome he was " CISM " military - welterweight champion. In the " CISM " Sports Association all military athletes in the western states were organized. The first participation in a European Championship there was Mikko at the European Championships in 1976 in Leningrad, where he took a good 6th place. Even better, it ran for him at the Olympics of the same year in Montreal. Mikko won three fights here and missed the 4th place only just a medal, which he lost to this medal against Karl -Heinz Helbing from Mainz in the decisive battle.

In the years 1977-1979 Mikko Huhtala was regular. At the World and European championships at the start He always gave it good fights and was several times a medal win close, but never succeeded. The best results of those years were a 5th place at the European Championships 1978 in Oslo, 6th place at the European Championship 1979 in Bucharest, where he achieved a remarkable victory over the Hungarian champion, Ferenc Kocsis and seventh places in the World Championships 1977 in Gothenburg and 1978 in Mexico City.

For the most successful year of his career was for Mikko then the year 1980. Initially, he was at the European Championships in Prievidza Vice European Champion and then he won at the Olympic Games in Moscow the bronze medal in the welterweight division.

In 1981 Mikko then won a World Championship medal when he runner-up behind Alexander Kudriawzew from the USSR was in Oslo and on the way there, among other things, Roger Tallroth from Sweden and again Fernec Kocsis, who was in 1980 also became Olympic champion, defeated.

After 1981 Mikko Huhtala ended his international career Ringer. He focused on his training and is now working as a development engineer.

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, European Championship EM =, GR = Greek and Roman. Style, Le = Lightweight, We = welterweight, middleweight Mi =, then until 68 kg, 74 kg and 82 kg body weight)

Finnish Championships

Swell

• Journals Athletics from 1970 to 1975, The wrestler from the years 1976 to 1982
• Database of the Institute for Applied Training Science at the University of Leipzig
• Website of the Finnish Association Ringer TUL ( www.tulpaini.fi )