Petri Kokko (figure skater)
Petri Kokko | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Helsinki, Finland | 21 February 1966||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Figure skating career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | Finland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Partner | Susanna Rahkamo Virpi Kunnas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coach | Martin Skotnický | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skating club | Helsingfors Skridskoklubb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Retired | 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Petri Kokko (born 21 February 1966) is a Finnish former competitive
Skating career
Initially interested in hockey, Kokko began figure skating at age 14 to improve his skating skills.[2][3] His first partner was Virpi Kunnas.
Rahkamo/Kokko formed their partnership in 1985 and moved to Oberstdorf, Germany to train with Martin Skotnický.[3] Their first major international event was the 1986 European Championships, where they finished 18th. In 1990, they reached the top ten at the European and World Championships for the first time.
In the 1991–92 season, Rahkamo/Kokko won the silver medal at the 1991 Skate America and placed sixth at the 1992 Winter Olympics. In 1991, they portrayed the characters of Dagwood and Blondie in their free skating program; Kokko wore tails and Rahkamo wore a tutu and red skates. Robin Cousins, the commentator for NBC at the 1991 World Championships in Munich, called it a "comedy spoof not only of the ballet, but maybe some of their fellow competitors".[4] According to writer Ellyn Kestnbaum, Rahkomo and Kokko's free dance parodied the conventions of romantic pursuit. Kestnbaum says about the program: "The sterotyped roles within the narrative of pursuit are thus revealed as constructs, not inherent and inevitable in the facts of maleness and femaleness".[4]
The following season, they won gold at the 1992 Skate Canada International and bronze at the 1993 European Championships. They were fourth at the 1993 World Championships.
In 1993–94, Rahkamo/Kokko stood atop the podium at Piruetten. They placed fourth at the 1994 European Championships and at the 1994 Winter Olympics. They ended their season with a bronze medal at the 1994 World Championships.
At the
Rahkamo/Kokko turned professional in 1995 and performed in ice shows until 2000.[2][10] They made an appearance on Enigma's music video for Beyond the Invisible.
Later life
Rahkamo and Kokko married in 1995 and have two children, Max born in 2001 and Camilla in 2003.
Programs
(With Rahkamo)
Season | Original set pattern / Original dance |
Free dance
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Exhibition |
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1994–95 |
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1993–94 |
by Don Ralke |
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1992–93 |
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1991–92 |
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1990–91 |
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1989–90 |
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Results
With Rahkamo
International | ||||||||||
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Event | 85–86 | 86–87 | 87–88 | 88–89 | 89–90 | 90–91 | 91–92 | 92–93 | 93–94 | 94–95 |
Olympics | 6th | 4th | ||||||||
Worlds | 20th | 20th | 13th | 6th | 7th | 5th | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | |
Europeans | 18th | 18th | 15th | 12th | 7th | 8th | 6th | 3rd | 4th | 1st |
Skate America | 2nd | |||||||||
Skate Canada | 1st | |||||||||
Int. de Paris |
3rd | |||||||||
Golden Spin | 6th | |||||||||
Moscow News | 14th | |||||||||
Piruetten | 1st | |||||||||
National | ||||||||||
Finnish Champ. | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
With Kunnas
Event | 1983–84 | 1984–85 |
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Finnish Championships | 1st | 1st |
References
- ^ Olympic results
- ^ a b c d Krank, Arja (11 December 2009). "An easy-going boss near you". telma-lehti.fi. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014.
- ^ a b Saarikoski, Saska (5 January 2013). "Susanna Rahkamo ja Petri Kokko palasivat jäälle" [Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko returned to the ice]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish).
- ^ ISBN 0-8195-6641-1.
- ^ "Laura Lepistö wins European title in front of ecstatic home audience". Helsingin Sanomat. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ^ "Finnstep". ice-dance.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-28.
- ^ a b Elfman, Lois (23 January 2014). "Who framed the Finnstep? Rahkamo and Kokko". IceNetwork.
- IceNetwork.com. 20 June 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- IceNetwork.com. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ a b Kajas, Mila; Salmi, Anna (19 October 2008). "What's new Susanna and Petri". Finnish Figure Skating Association. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008.
- ^ Elfman, Lois (18 September 2008). "Susanna Rahkamo is still an innovator". IceNetwork.
- ^ "Petri Kokko to take up post at Google headquarters". Helsingin Sanomat. 26 November 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2011.