Kari Ylianttila

Kari Sakari Ylianttila ( born August 28, 1953 in Rovaniemi ) is a former Finnish ski jumper and active ski jumping coach.

Making his first appearance in an international tournament he had in 1971 with the Four Hills Tournament, but his career was in the coming years rather sluggishly. The biggest success of his career was then winning the 26th Four Hills Tournament in winter 1977/78; he won in Bischofshofen and reached in Innsbruck and Garmisch- Partenkirchen, the second, in Oberstdorf third. However, after this success he achieved no further victory, and in 1982 he finished his career.

From 1987 to 1994 he was coach of the Finnish ski jumping team he led to numerous medal successes. Almost legendary are the often strenuous arguments that he Matti Nykänen, his best, but also distinctly irascible, Springer, delivered.

From 1994 to 2004 he was the coach of the U.S. ski team and relocated to Park City. His task was to form a competitive American team to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City; the United States were in ski jumping up to this time more of a developing country. The venture succeeded only partially. While it succeeded Ylianttila in the 1990s to introduce Alan Alborn and Clint Jones two knights of the world leaders, but at the Olympics, the American team finished only eleventh.

In winter 2004/ 05 Ylianttila changed as a coach to the Swedish Ski Association. Since July 2005 he is the coach of the Japanese team. His contract runs until 2010.