Tero Pitkämäki facts for kids
Tero Pitkämäki in 2014
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 19 December 1982 Ilmajoki, Finland |
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| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 92 kg (203 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Finland |
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| Sport | Track and field | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Javelin throw | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Nurmon Urheilijat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 91.53 m (2005) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Tero Kristian Pitkämäki is a famous Finnish athlete. He was born on December 19, 1982. He used to compete in track and field, specializing in the javelin throw. Tero is a World Champion, having won a gold medal in 2007. His best throw ever was 91.53 meters, which he achieved in 2005. This amazing throw ranks him among the top javelin throwers in history.
Contents
Tero Pitkämäki's Early Life
Tero Pitkämäki grew up in a small village called Ahonkylä in Ilmajoki, Finland. He became interested in the javelin throw when he was only eight years old. He was inspired by watching the 1991 World Championships. In that competition, Finnish athletes Kimmo Kinnunen and Seppo Räty won gold and silver medals.
After watching the championships, Tero competed in a youth event. He threw the javelin 22 meters, which was 10 meters farther than the second-place thrower. He often practiced throwing at home. Once, he even accidentally poked a hole in his neighbor's roof!
Tero Pitkämäki's Athletic Career
Tero Pitkämäki started to become a top javelin thrower in the world. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, he finished 8th. His throw was 83.01 meters.
Major Competitions and Achievements
In August 2005, Tero threw an incredible 91.53 meters. This made him one of the favorites for the 2005 World Championships in his home country. However, he finished fourth with a throw of 81.27 meters.
Tero won his first big medal in 2006. He placed second at the European Athletics Championships.
An Unusual Incident
On July 13, 2007, something unusual happened at a competition in Rome. Tero threw his javelin too far to the left. It accidentally hit a French long jumper named Salim Sdiri in the back. Luckily, Sdiri's injuries were not life-threatening. He was taken to a local hospital.
Becoming a World Champion
On August 5, 2007, Tero won his fourth Finnish championship in a row. He threw 89.43 meters. Later that year, at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, Tero won the gold medal. His winning throw was 89.16 meters. He even improved his final result to 90.33 meters with his last throw.
Awards and Retirement
On October 5, 2007, Tero Pitkämäki was named the European Athlete of the Year. He had won 11 competitions that season, including the World Champion title. He also had the best throw in Europe that year, 91.23 meters. In December, he was voted Finnish Sportsman of the Year. He beat other famous Finnish athletes like Virpi Kuitunen and Kimi Räikkönen.
In September 2015, Tero won his first title from the Diamond League.
Tero Pitkämäki announced his retirement from competing on October 14, 2019. He had injured his knee in June 2018. He worked hard to recover, but his knee's strength was not the same. He said his throws in 2019 were around 75 meters. He felt he could no longer compete at the highest level. Tero had planned to retire after the 2020 Summer Olympics. However, he decided to retire earlier. He explained that his passion for the sport faded when he realized he couldn't reach his desired condition.
Tero Pitkämäki's Best Throws Each Year
- 1999 – 66.83 meters
- 2000 – 73.75 meters
- 2001 – 74.89 meters
- 2002 – 77.24 meters
- 2003 – 80.45 meters
- 2004 – 84.64 meters
- 2005 – 91.53 meters (His personal best!)
- 2006 – 91.11 meters
- 2007 – 91.23 meters
- 2008 – 87.70 meters
- 2009 – 87.79 meters
- 2010 – 86.92 meters
- 2011 – 85.33 meters
- 2012 – 86.98 meters
- 2013 – 89.03 meters
- 2014 – 86.63 meters
- 2015 – 89.09 meters
- 2016 – 86.13 meters
- 2017 – 88.27 meters
- 2018 – 82.64 meters
See also
In Spanish: Tero Pitkämäki para niños
