Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi
Country	Finland
Born	Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen (1955-09-10) 10 September 1955 (age 69) Simpele, South Karelia, Finland
Spouse(s)	Harri Kirvesniemi ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 2011)​
Ski club	Simpeleen Urheilijat
World Cup career
Seasons	10 – (1982–1985, 1988–1989, 1991–1994)
Individual wins	11
Team wins	1
Indiv. podiums	27
Team podiums	8
Indiv. starts	64
Team starts	15
Overall titles	2 – (1983, 1984)
Medal record Women's cross-country skiing Representing  Finland Olympic Games Gold 1984 Sarajevo 5 km Gold 1984 Sarajevo 10 km Gold 1984 Sarajevo 20 km Bronze 1984 Sarajevo 4 × 5 km relay Bronze 1988 Calgary 4 × 5 km relay Bronze 1994 Lillehammer 5 km classical Bronze 1994 Lillehammer 30 km classical World Championships Gold 1978 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay Gold 1989 Lahti 10 km classical Gold 1989 Lahti 4 × 5 km relay Silver 1985 Seefeld 5 km Silver 1985 Seefeld 10 km Silver 1989 Lahti 15 km classical Silver 1991 Val di Fiemme 5 km classical Silver 1993 Falun 15 km classical

Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi (born Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen on September 10, 1955) is a famous former cross-country skier from Finland. She is known for her amazing achievements in the sport.

Marja-Liisa's Skiing Journey

Marja-Liisa was a huge star at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. She won all three individual cross-country skiing races: the 5 km, 10 km, and 20 km events. This made her the most successful athlete at those Winter Olympics. She also helped Finland win a bronze medal in the relay race.

She continued her success at later Olympic Games. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, she earned another bronze medal in the relay. Then, at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, she won two more bronze medals in the 5 km and 30 km races.

World Championships Success

Marja-Liisa also had a fantastic career at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. She won three gold medals:

• 10 km race in 1989
• 4 × 5 km relay in 1978
• 4 × 5 km relay in 1989

She also earned five silver medals at the World Championships:

• 5 km race in 1985 and 1991
• 10 km race in 1985
• 15 km race in 1989 and 1993

In 1989, she won the 20 km double pursuit race at the Holmenkollen ski festival.

Holmenkollen Medal Honor

Marja-Liisa was awarded the prestigious Holmenkollen medal in 1989. This award is given to top skiers. Her husband, Harri Kirvesniemi, also received this medal in 1998. They were the third married couple to both win this special honor.

Marja-Liisa and Harri are also unique because they are the only married couple to have both competed in six Olympic Games. Only a few other Finnish athletes have achieved this, including Janne Ahonen (ski jumping) and Teemu Selänne (ice hockey).

Olympic Games Results

Marja-Liisa won 7 medals at the Olympic Games: 3 gold and 4 bronze.

World Championships Results

She earned 8 medals at the World Championships: 3 gold and 5 silver.

World Cup Achievements

Marja-Liisa won the overall World Cup title twice, in the 1982–83 and 1983–84 seasons. This means she was the best cross-country skier in the world for those years!

World Cup Season Standings

Here's how she ranked in the overall World Cup standings each season:

Season	Age	Overall
1982	26	18
1983	27
1984	28
1985	29	10
1988	32
1989	33	6
1991	35	17
1992	36	10
1993	37	8
1994	38	10

Individual and Team Podiums

Marja-Liisa won 11 individual races and stood on the podium 27 times in total. She also helped her team win 1 race and achieve 8 podium finishes.

See also

In Spanish: Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi para niños