Pekka Päivärinta
Pekka Johannes Päivärinta ( born May 4, 1949 in Aura, Finland ) is a former Finnish athlete who became the first world champion in 1973 in the cross-country running and thus first athletics world champion ever.
Career
Pekka Päivärinta won in 1971 8:34,0 min at the Finnish Championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. At the European Championships in Helsinki he reached on the obstacle - route the final, but fell back there early, finishing in eleventh place. A year later at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, he went to the 1500 -meter run and the 3,000-meter steeplechase. In the steeplechase qualified with Tapio Kantanen, Mikko Ala- Leppilampi and Pekka Päivärinta all three Finnish participants for the final. In the final, only Kantanen could compete with the best and won the bronze medal, Päivärinta finished eighth, Ala- Leppilampi tenth. Two days after the final of the steeplechase Päivärinta different from the semi-final over 1500 meters.
On March 10, 1973 Päivärinta joined the European Indoor Championships in Rotterdam to supply over 3000 meters and qualified as a third party for the finals, the day after he finished behind the two Belgians Emiel Puttemans and Willy Polleunis third place. On March 17, 1973, the first World Cross Country Championships were held in Waregem, Belgium. This race was won Päivärinta in the final sprint ahead of the Spaniard Mariano Haro, so Päivärinta was the first official world champion in athletics, the stadium first world championships were held in 1983. In the outdoor season 1973 Päivärinta won at the Finnish Championships in the 10,000 meters.
1974 defended his Päivärinta Finnish champion in cross-country running until 1977, he won this title five times in succession. At the World Cross Country Championships 1974 in Monza, he finished 15th place. The season's highlight of the outdoor season also took place in Italy: The European Championships in Rome. There Päivärinta could not cope with the heat and was ranked 19 in the 10,000 -meter run and 13th place in the 5000 -meter run. 1975 Päivärinta joined again at the European Indoor Championships in Katowice, he took over 3000 meters in second place behind Ian Stewart. at the Cross World Championships in Rabat, he gave up. In the outdoor season on May 10, 1975 he achieved a world record in the 25,000 -meter run. In the Finnish Championship 1975 Päiväranta won the double over 1500 meters and 5000 meters.
In 1976 Päivärinta for the second time in the Olympic Games in part, again, he started in two contests, but this time in the 10,000 meters and 5000 meters. On the shorter distance, he reached the final and finished there the 13th place, while his compatriot Lasse Virén repeated his Olympic victories from 1972 on both routes. 1977 started Päiväranta for the third time in European Indoor Championships and won his third medal, behind Karl Fleschen he won the silver medal in the sprint ahead of Markus Ryffel.
1980 ended Päivärinta his career. At a height of 1.86 m his competition weight was about 68 kg.
Bests
Outdoor
- 800 meters: 1:52,5 min ( Salo July 23, 1978 )
- 1500 meters: 3:37,2 min ( Helsinki June 28, 1973 )
- 2000 meters: 5:11,0 min ( Laitila August 2, 1974 )
- 3000 meters: 7:57,2 min ( Hyvinkää July 27, 1975 )
- 5000 meters: 13:28,51 min ( Helsinki September 16, 1973 )
- 10,000 meters: 27:54,43 min ( Helsinki June 23, 1976 )
- 25,000 meters: 1:14:16,8 h (Oulu May 15, 1975 ) ( world record)
- Marathon: 2:13:09,0 h ( Fukuoka December 8, 1974 )
- 2000 meter steeplechase: 5:46,8 min ( Mariehamn August 9, 1969 )
- 3000 meter steeplechase: 8:25,4 min ( Helsinki July 26, 1972 )