Eero Mäntyranta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eero Mäntyranta |
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Mäntyranta at the 1964 Olympics
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| Full name | Eero Antero Mäntyranta | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 20 November 1937 Turtola, Lapland, Finland |
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| Died | 29 December 2013 (aged 76) Oulu, Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland |
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| Height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ski club | Pellon Ponsi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Eero Antero Mäntyranta (born November 20, 1937 – died December 29, 2013) was a very successful Finnish cross-country skier. He took part in four Winter Olympic Games between 1960 and 1972. He won an amazing seven medals in three of those Olympics! After his great performance at the 1964 Winter Olympics, people called him "Mister Seefeld". Seefeld was the place where the cross-country skiing races happened. The Finnish government honored him with a special award in 2000. There is also a museum about Eero in his hometown of Pello.
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A Special Advantage
Eero Mäntyranta had a unique natural condition. It was called primary familial and congenital polycythemia (PFCP). This condition meant his body made more red blood cells than usual. Red blood cells carry oxygen in your blood. More red blood cells meant his blood could carry more oxygen. This extra oxygen likely helped Eero have amazing endurance. It helped him keep going for a long time during his races. Scientists found this special gene in his family in 1993.
Olympic Medals
Eero Mäntyranta won many medals at the Olympic Games. He earned a total of 7 medals. These included 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals.
All his results are from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games Results
- 7 medals – (3 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
| Year | Age | 15 km | 30 km | 50 km | 4 × 10 km relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 22 | 6 | — | — | Gold |
| 1964 | 26 | Gold | Gold | 9 | Silver |
| 1968 | 30 | Silver | Bronze | 15 | Bronze |
| 1972 | 34 | — | 19 | DNF | — |
World Championships Medals
Eero Mäntyranta also did very well at the World Championships. He won 5 medals there. These included 2 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal.
World Championships Results
- 5 medals – (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
| Year | Age | 15 km | 30 km | 50 km | 4 × 10 km relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 24 | 5 | Gold | — | Silver |
| 1966 | 28 | 6 | Gold | Bronze | Silver |
Other Achievements
- He won five gold, two silver, and two bronze medals in Finnish national championships.
- He won first place at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 1962, 1964, and 1968 (for the 15 km race).
- He received the Holmenkollen medal in 1964. He shared this award with Veikko Kankkonen, Georg Thoma, and Halvor Næs.
- He won the Salpausselkä games in 1964 and 1972.
See also
In Spanish: Eero Mäntyranta para niños
- Athletes of Finland
- Olympic Athletes of Finland
