Pertti Karppinen facts for kids
Karppinen in 1980
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Born | 17 February 1953 Askainen, Finland |
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| Height | 201 cm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98–102 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Rowing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Nesteen Soutajat, Naantali | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Pertti Johannes Karppinen (born 17 February 1953) is a retired Finnish rower. He is famous for winning three gold medals in a row at the Summer Olympics in the single sculls event. He achieved these wins in 1976, 1980, and 1984.
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Pertti Karppinen's Rowing Career
Pertti Karppinen was a very successful rower. He won world titles in 1979 and 1985. He even held a world record for indoor rowing at one point.
Karppinen's Unique Rowing Style
Karppinen had a special way of rowing. He would start his race at a steady pace. Often, he would be behind his rivals by a lot. But then, he would finish with an incredibly powerful sprint. This allowed him to catch up and win races right at the end.
A Great Rivalry: Karppinen vs. Kolbe
Pertti Karppinen had an exciting rivalry with a German rower named Peter-Michael Kolbe. Their races were some of the most thrilling in rowing history. Kolbe won many medals, but he never won an Olympic gold.
In both the 1976 and 1984 Olympics, Kolbe was leading the race. But Karppinen managed to pass him in the very last few meters. This meant Karppinen won the gold, and Kolbe took the silver.
They did not race each other at the 1980 Olympic Games. This was because West Germany, Kolbe's country, did not attend the games.
Later Olympic Appearances
Karppinen and Kolbe raced one last time at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Karppinen did not make it to the final race. He won the race for seventh place instead. Kolbe won another silver medal, losing to a new talented rower named Thomas Lange.
Karppinen continued to compete. He went on to the 1992 Summer Olympics. There, he finished in tenth place.
Family in Rowing
Pertti Karppinen and Russia's Vyacheslav Ivanov are the only men to win three straight Olympic gold medals in single sculls.
Besides single sculls, Karppinen also rowed in double sculls. He teamed up with his younger brother, Reima Karppinen. Together, they won a silver medal at the 1981 World Rowing Championships.
Today, Pertti Karppinen works as a national rowing coach. He also trains his children, Juho and Eeva. Both of them compete in rowing at an international level, following in their father's footsteps.
See also
In Spanish: Pertti Karppinen para niños
- Athletes with most gold medals in one event at the Olympic Games
