Matti Nykänen
Matti Nykänen Ensio [ mɑt ː i nykænɛn ] ( born July 17, 1963 in Jyväskylä ) is a former Finnish ski jumper who dominated his sport in the 1980s. With four Olympic gold medals, five world titles and four overall World Cup victories, he is one of the most successful ski jumpers at all. He also is one of the four athletes ( next to him Espen Bredesen, Thomas Morgenstern and Jens Weißflog ) which have won the 4 most important competitions in ski jumping sports (Olympics, World Championships, World Cup and Four Hills Tournament ).
Ski jumping career
Nykänen, similar to his eternal rival Jens Weißflog a very light Springer, 1982 could celebrate at the World Cup in Holmenkollen at the age of 18 years with the world title on the large hill his first major triumph. This was followed in each case by a second title in the team competition at the next four consecutive World Championships (1984, 1985, 1987 and 1989).
After the first victory in the Four Hills Tournament 1982/83 and winning the overall World Cup in the same year, Nykänen took a year later at the Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo, the gold medals on the large hill and team. He had 20 -year-old has won every major ski jumping competitions. A month later he was on top of the flight week of Oberstdorf and improved the ski flying world record first and then to 182 m to 185 m.
In 1985, he won the ski flying in Planica World Champion title with a recent world record flight at 191 m. In this and the following year he secured the overall World Cup again. In 1987 he was awarded the Holmenkollen medal.
Its probably the best season but had Nykänen 1987/88. First, he dominated the Four Hills Tournament at will and then secured at the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary in 1988, all three awarded in ski jumping gold medals. He also won for the fourth time overall World Cup.
Towards the end of the 1980s began Nykänens star to fall. His alcoholism became apparent. He finished his career in 1991 finally lackluster. Overall, he has won 46 World Cup events, which he led for a long time the eternal leaderboard, to him Gregor Schlierenzauer 2013 overhauled.
After the career
Nykänens businesses after the end of his career including as a pop singer and stripper were not very successful, as was his private life with three marriages and divorces very spectacular. Was in the Finnish tabloids and in great detail about each escapade ski jumper who suffers from ADHD according to present knowledge, been reported. In 2003 Nykänen published an autobiography titled " Greetings from Hell".
In August 2004, after a rather successful comeback tour as a pop singer in Finland, Matti Nykänen came with his wife on suspicion of attempted manslaughter (see below homicide ). They were accused of stabbing a 59 -year-old friend in alcohol intoxication after a fight over Fingerhakeln in a hut in Nokia. He was sentenced to 26 months in prison. In the same year he suffered a heart attack, from which he recovered well, however. After serving 13 months, he was released on parole in September 2005, however, to have already added 103 hours later allegations that his wife Mervi in a drunken stupor with a heavy object a head wound, taken back into custody. After Mervi had refunded but no display, Nykänen was set free again. In March 2006, Matti Nykänen was convicted again for mistreating his wife to a prison sentence of 4 months.
On 13 January 2006 a film came over the life Matti Nykänens in the Finnish cinema. The main role was played by the famous Finnish actor Jasper Pääkkönen.
On 28 February 2008 Matti Nykänen won the Veteran World Champion title on the small hill in Taivalkoski, Finland in the class of 40 - 44-year. On the previous day, he had emerged as fifth in the K -50 competition.
On December 25, 2009, he attacked according to media reports his wife with a knife and was arrested again. Mervi Tapola escaped with cuts to the neighbors. Then, a court sentenced him on 24 August 2010 in the southwest of Finland Pirkanmaa to 16 months in prison and to pay 6600 euros for pain and suffering. The judgment is not yet final.
In March 2013 Nykänen announced that he again start with the ski jumping training to participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia as a fore. He also coached the Finnish ski jumper Harri Olli, who himself starts a comeback and wants to start in Sochi at the Olympic Winter Games 2014.