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 February 17, 1953) is a famous retired rower from Finland. He is best known for winning three gold medals in a row at the Summer Olympics. He won these medals in a type of rowing called single sculls in 1976, 1980, and 1984.
Contents
Pertti's Amazing Rowing Career
Pertti Karppinen was a world champion in rowing. He won world titles in 1979 and 1985. He even held a world record for indoor rowing once!
Pertti had a special way of rowing. He would start his race at a steady speed. Often, he would be behind his rivals by a lot. But then, right at the end, he would use a super-fast sprint. This powerful finish helped him win many races.
A Great Rivalry: Pertti vs. Peter-Michael Kolbe
Pertti Karppinen had an exciting rivalry with a German rower named Peter-Michael Kolbe. Many people think their races were some of the best in rowing history. Kolbe won more medals overall than any other single sculler. But he never won an Olympic gold medal.
This was often because of Pertti. Twice, in the 1976 and 1984 Olympics, Kolbe was leading the whole race. But in the last few meters, Pertti would speed past him!
They did not race each other at the 1980 Summer Olympics. This was because West Germany chose not to go to those Games. They were protesting an event that happened at the time.
Later Years and Family Rowing
Pertti and Kolbe raced one last time at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Pertti did not make it to the final race. But he won the race for seventh place. Kolbe won another silver medal, losing to a new, talented rower named Thomas Lange. Pertti continued to compete and raced in the 1992 Summer Olympics, finishing tenth.
Pertti Karppinen and Russia's Vyacheslav Ivanov are the only men to win gold medals in single sculls at three Olympics in a row.
Besides single sculls, Pertti also rowed in double sculls. He raced with his younger brother, Reima. They won a silver medal together at the 1981 World Rowing Championships.
Today, Pertti Karppinen works as a national rowing coach. He also trains his own children, Juho and Eeva. Both of them compete in rowing at an international level, continuing the family's rowing tradition!
See also
- In Spanish: Pertti Karppinen para niños
- Athletes with many gold medals in one event at the Olympic Games
