Pauli Siitonen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pauli Siitonen |
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Siitonen c. 1972
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| Born | 3 February 1938 Simpele, Finland |
| Died | 20 April 2024 (aged 86) Espoo, Finland |
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
Pauli Ensio Siitonen (born February 3, 1938 – died April 20, 2024) was a famous cross-country skier from Finland. He was one of the best long-distance skiers in the 1970s. In 1973, he became only the second Finnish skier to win the tough Vasaloppet race.
Siitonen also competed in the 1968 Olympics. He won other big races like the Finlandia-hiihto in Finland and the König-Ludwig-Lauf in West Germany.
The Siitonen-Step: A New Way to Ski
Pauli Siitonen is well-known for helping to make a new skiing style popular. This style was called the "Siitonen-step" or "marathon skate."
This special step was a very early version of what we now call skate skiing. In skate skiing, skiers push off the snow sideways, like ice skaters. Before Siitonen, most cross-country skiing was done in a classic style, where skis stayed parallel. His technique changed how people thought about moving on skis.
Later Life
Pauli Siitonen passed away on April 20, 2024, when he was 86 years old. He left behind a big impact on the sport of cross-country skiing.
