Toni Nieminen

Toni Nieminen, a 16-year old schoolboy from Lahti, established himself as the World’s top ski jumper at the 1991-92 Four Hills tournament, which he won by winning at Oberstdorf, Innsbruck and Bischofshofen and placing second in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. At the 1992 Winter Olympics, Nieminen medaled in all three events available in ski jumping, winning gold in the large hill and team event and bronze on the normal hill. Nieminen also won the 1991-1992 World Cup, won two golds at the World Junior Championships and was named as the Finnish athlete of the year in 1992. In his later career as a ski jumper, Nieminen was not as successful as he had been in 1992, although at Planica in 1994 he did become the first man in the World to jump over 200 metres. Nieminen also competed at the 1993 and 1995 World Championships and 2002 Winter Olympics, but with less success. After finishing his competitive career in 2004, Nieminen worked as a ski jumping coach with the Finnish national junior team and as a ski jumping commentator for Finnish TV.