Heikki Savolainen

Heikki Savolainen had a very long career as a gymnast. He competed in five Olympics and won at least one medal in every Olympics he participated. Savolainen made his international début at the 1928 Olympics, where he won bronze on pommelled horse. In 1932, Savolainen won a silver on high bar and three bronzes (individual all-around, parallel bars and team event). At the 1936 Olympics, Savolainen won a bronze in the team event, a feat he repeated at the 1952 Olympics. The most successful Olympics for Savolainen were 1948, where he won golds on pommelled horse and in the team event, and was selected to recite the athletes’ oath at the Opening Ceremony. At the World Championships, Savolainen was less successful than at the Olympic Games, winning only a team silver in 1950. Domestically, Savolainen won six Finnish individual all-around titles between 1928-37 and 20 Finnish gymnastics titles in all between 1928-50. By profession, Savolainen was a medical doctor. From 1932-37, he also worked for Suomen Urheilulehti (Finnish sports magazine). From 1946-59 he was the vice-president of the Finnish Gymnastics Federation, and from 1946-56 he was the president of Kajaanin Voimistelijat.