Jalmari Sauli

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameJalmari Verneri•Sauli (Saxberg-)
Used nameJalmari•Sauli
Nick/petnamesHjalmar Verner
Born17 August 1889 in Hämeenlinna, Kanta-Häme (FIN)
Died22 April 1957 in Tampere, Pirkanmaa (FIN)
AffiliationsHelsingin Reipas, Helsinki (FIN)
NOC Finland

Biography

Prior to his career as a successful writer and journalist Jalmari Sauli represented Finland in multiple track and field events at the Olympics. Sauli competed in four throwing events at the 1908 London Olympics, achieving top-10 places in three of them. He finished in seventh place in the shot put, with a throw of 12.58 metres, and seventh in the javelin, where his distance was not recorded. In the freestyle javelin throw he finished in eighth place with 43.30 metres, and finally he competed in the discus, where again the distance of his throw was not recorded. Sauli was also scheduled to compete in the Greek-style discus throw at the London Games but he did not start the event.

Shortly after the London Olympics Sauli set a world and national record in two different shot put disciplines. In September 1908 he became the first Finn to throw further than 14 metres in the shot when he recorded 14.06 metres. Just over a week later, Sauli threw 25.38 metres in the two-handed shot put, with the throw adjudged to be a world record.

From 1911 to 1914 Sauli worked as the assistant editor-in-chief of the Finnish daily newspaper Aamulehti. He moved up to editor-in-chief of the broadsheet newspaper Hämeen Sanomat from 1914 to 1917, and later worked on the weekly newspaper Järviseutu from 1937 to 1944. After his spell with the broadsheet paper, Sauli joined the White Guard but ended up getting wounded during the Finnish Civil War in 1918. It took several months for him to recover from his injuries, during which he found time to start writing novels. The first book Sauli wrote drew inspiration from his time in the war, and was credited as the first Finnish adventure novel.

Sauli continued to write novels that were mainly aimed at young adults, but his output also included historical works and adventures set in the wilderness. As well as writing more than 40 novels, he also penned plays and wrote children’s books. Sauli won the Finnish State Prize for Literature in 1928 and again in 1937.

Personal Bests: SP – 14.06 (1908); DT – 41.61 (1908); JT – 51.58 (1908).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1908 Summer Olympics Athletics FIN Jalmari Sauli
Shot Put, Men (Olympic) 7
Discus Throw, Men (Olympic) AC
Discus Throw, Greek Style, Men (Olympic) DNS
Javelin Throw, Men (Olympic) 7
Javelin Throw, Freestyle, Men (Olympic) 8