Veikko Hakulinen

Veikko Johannes Hakulinen ( born January 4, 1925 in Kurkijoki; † 25 October 2003 in Valkeakoski ) was a Finnish cross-country skier and biathlete.

Career

Hakulinen was 1952 winner of the 50 -km cross-country skiing, with the notable time of 3 hours, 33 minutes and 33 seconds at the Olympic Winter Games. For the ultimately victorious season he was not summoned. He won in 1956 the gold medal over 30 km and 1960 gold with the Finnish relay. In the 1954 World Ski Championships was Hakulinen world champion over 15km and with the relay, at the 1958 World Ski Championships he won the gold medal over 15 km. There are also three silver and one bronze medal at Olympic Games and World Championships.

Hakulinen was in the 1950s and 1960s alongside the Swede Sixten Jernberg as the most successful collectors of medals in cross-country skiing. The successes of the two were exceeded only in the 1980s and 1990s by the Swedes and the Norwegians Bjørn Gunde Svan Dæhlie. Hakulinen was elected four times to the Finnish Sportsman of the Year (1952, 1953, 1954, 1960) and was awarded the Holmenkollen medal in 1955.

In the early 1960s he moved to the Biathlon World Cup in 1963 and won in the silver medal in the relay. Hakulinen was a professional forester and adopted at the national level in competitions in orienteering, ski orienteering, cross-country running and rowing part. He died at the age of 78 following a traffic accident.

Success as a cross-country skiers

Olympic Winter Games

World Championships

Success as a biathlete

• Biathlon World Championships 1963 in Seefeld: silver team