Veikko Huhtanen

Veikko Aarne Aleks Huhtanen ( born June 5, 1919 in Viipuri, † January 29, 1976 in Helsinki) was a Finnish gymnast who won three Olympic gold medals in 1948.

Life

Huhtanen grew up in Helsinki and began 12 years ago with the gymnastics. In 1938, he debuted at the international match against Germany in the Finnish national team. The outbreak of the Second World War led to the cancellation of the 1940 Olympics in Helsinki, to which Huhtanen had prepared.

After the Second World War Huhtanen began again with the gymnastics. At the 1948 Olympic Games in London, the Germans and the Japanese were not allowed back, the team of the Soviet Union also came not to. In the Gymnastics gymnasts from Finland and Switzerland battled for the victory. In the team competition, the Finns won by just 1.6 points ahead. In the individual competition of the multi struggle Huhtanen won with 0.7 points ahead of Switzerland's Walter Lehmann. At the individual devices was Huhtanen on the floor 34, on the rings in the eleventh and horse jump sixth. At the other three devices he won a medal each: bronze on high bar, silver bullion and gold on the pommel horse. On Pommel Horse curiously, had three Finnish Turner 38.70 points erturnt, a jump-off was not provided. So were Paavo Aaltonen, Huhtanen and the 40 -year-old veteran Heikki Savolainen turn each a gold medal.

The World Gymnastics Championships 1950 in Basel, the Swiss dominated on the Turner Finns. Huhtanen won with his team silver behind the Swiss. On stretching it erturnte to silver behind Paavo Aaltonen. Due to a shoulder injury had Huhtanen then end his career and missed the part in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.