Sylvi Saimo

Sylvi Riitta Saimo ( born November 12, 1914 in Ruskeala (now Russia), † 12 March, 2004 Laukaa; born Sylvi Riitta Sikiö ) was a Finnish canoer. She was the first Finnish woman who could get a win at the Olympic Summer Games.

Sylvi Saimo came in 1914 as the daughter of the farmer John Sikiö and the hostess Hilda Hannonen to the world. You already started early with sports activities, especially in the beginning, however, cross-country skiing. It was not until the age of 31 she started Canoeing.

In 1948 she first participated at the Olympic Games and finished sixth. In the same year she was named Athlete of the Year in Finland. In 1950, she was both in the discipline one kayak and in the double kayak ( with Greta Grönholm ) world champion and sportswoman of the year again. At the Summer Olympics in Helsinki in 1952 they finally won at the age of 37 years in one kayak over 500 m gold medal, the first should get each one Finn in the Summer Games (followed by Heli Rantanen 1996 in Athens and Satu Mäkelä - Nummela 2008 in Beijing), after which she was nominated for the third time athlete of the Year.

After the end of their sporting career, she went into politics and was elected as a member of the Finnish Centre Party four times in the Finnish Parliament. Then they retired to their farm in Laukaa, where she lived until her death in 2004.