Keijo Tapiovaara

Keijo Tapiovaara was Finland’s top allround speed skater in the early 1960s. His best distance was the 5,000 metres, earning a 7th place in the 1960 Olympics in that event, and a 2nd place at the Europeans that same year. In allround competitions, he placed 8th in the 1960 European Championships and 12th in the 1962 Worlds. Tapiovaara was the Finnish allround champion in 1960 and 1962, and runner-up in 1961 and 1963. During the summer, Tapiovaara competed in cycling, winning four medals in Finnish Championships.

After retiring from competitive skating, Tapiovaara remained closely involved with the sport. Apart from serving as an international referee, he was the chairman of Helsinki Speed Skating club HLK (1974-86) and a member of the board and top sports committee of the Finnish speed skating federation. Professionally, Keijo Tapiovaara worked for payment services company Luottokunta for many years, including stints as a board member and the company’s CEO (1997-99).

Personal Bests: 500 – 42.9 (1965); 1500 – 2:10.8 (1963); 5000 – 8:01.5 (1964); 10000 – 16:30.8 (1963).