Juha Väätäinen

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Juha Väätäinen
1971
: 10,000 m 1st
Highest world ranking5000 m: 1st (1971)
10,000 m: 1st (1971)
Personal best(s)200 m: 22.1 (1967)
400 m: 48.9 (1967)
800 m: 1:48.4 (1967)
1500 m: 3:43.7 (1968)
Mile: 4:04.6 (1966)
3000 m: 7:53.4 (1972)
2 Miles: 8:33.0 (1971)
5000 m: 13:28.4 (1972)
10,000 m: 27:52.78 (1971)
Medal record
European Championships
Gold medal – first place
1971 Helsinki
 5000 m
Gold medal – first place
1971 Helsinki
 10,000 m

Juha Väätäinen (born 12 July 1941)

Helsinki, representing the Finns Party
between 2011 and 2015.

Athletics career

Early career 1960-68

Väätäinen started his running career as a sprinter. He won his first junior Finnish championship in the

Nordic Championship in 1965, beating, for example, young Anders Gärderud.[5]

Väätäinen was coached by Paavo Meskus from 1963 until Meskus' death in 1968. However, Väätäinen was pretty independent and planned his training mostly by himself.

Alamosa as a student.[7]

In the summer of 1968, Väätäinen trained for five weeks in

long-distance running.[1][4]

Move to long distances (1969-70)

In 1969, Väätäinen engaged in altitude training for the second time, in

European Championships in Athens. However, he was not able to compete because of an infection he received from a drug injection due to his weak blood test results.[8][9]

In December 1969, Väätäinen stayed in

Penedo, Itatiaia. Because of the injury, his training was reduced until March 1970. However, in April 1970, he ran 1100 km.[8]

In 1970, Väätäinen improved his personal bests: 13:43.2 in the 5000 metres and 28:19.6 in the 10,000 metres. After the season, the injured Achilles tendon was operated on.[10]

European Championships in Helsinki 1971

In the winter of 1970-71, Väätäinen trained again in Brazil. He came in 10th at the Saint Silvester Road Race. In

Penedo, he ran over 1000 km per month. In late March, he flew to Mexico City for altitude training. In Mexico, he ran 350 km per week at his height.[clarification needed][8] In May, he traveled to California, where he improved his 2-mile Finnish record to 8:33.0. After his return to Europe, Väätäinen continued altitude training in Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via.[10]

Returning to

Finnish Championships on 23 July in Oulu.[4]

The

Jürgen Haase both kicked past Bedford in a thrilling last lap "burn-up", bringing the crowd to its feet as they battled neck and neck to the line, with Väätainen just edging out Haase in a new Finnish record time of 27:52.78. Väätäinen ran the last 400 metres in 53.8 seconds.[4]

The 5000 metre final was held four days later. Väätäinen won this event as well, beating Jean Wadoux and Harald Norpoth in a new Finnish record time of 13:32.8. This race also came down to a fast last lap, with Väätäinen's flying through the last 400 meters in 53.0 seconds.[4]

In the Track & Field News annual world ranking, Väätäinen was ranked first in both the 5000 and 10,000 metres.

Olympics 1972

In the winter of 1971-72, Väätäinen trained at a high altitude in

5000 metre final, but disappointed with a 13th-place finish. However, only three days later in Rome, Väätäinen improved his personal best at 5000 metres to 13:28.4. On the following day, he ran 13:35.4 in Helsinki, placing third in the same race that Lasse Virén set a new world record, clocking 13:16.4. Väätäinen ended his athletics career after the season; he attempted a comeback in 1974, but unsuccessfully.[4]

Professional career

By education, Väätäinen is a primary school teacher. However, he has not worked in the profession since the 1960s. Over the years, Väätäinen has worked as a coach, being especially successful in the field of racewalking. He has coached, for example, Reima Salonen and Sari Essayah. Väätäinen served as a head coach of long-distance runners at the Finnish Athletics Association in 1988-90. In the 2000s, Väätäinen has worked as a painter.[1][3] In 2007, he was a candidate in the Finnish parliamentary election, but was not elected. In 2011, he was elected as a member of the Finns Party. He did not seek re-election in 2015.

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 951-30-8902-9
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 951-26-0171-0
    .
  3. ^ a b "Henkilökuva (Personal profile)". Home pages of Juha Väätäinen. Archived from the original on 2009-09-18. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  4. ^
    ISBN 951-0-23703-5
    .
  5. ISBN 951-0-23703-5
    .
  6. ISBN 951-26-0171-0
    .
  7. ISBN 951-26-0171-0
    .
  8. ^
    ISBN 951-26-0171-0
    .
  9. ISBN 951-26-0171-0
    .
  10. ^
    ISBN 951-26-0171-0
    .

External links


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