Pekka Koskela

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Pekka Koskela

Pekka Koskela (born 29 November 1982 in Mänttä) is a Finnish speedskater, specialising on the sprint distances 500-m and 1000-m. In December 2001 he set a junior world record on the 500-m with the time 35.89. Since that time he has established himself as one of the 10–15 best speedskating sprinters in the world. He won a bronze medal on the 1000-m in the 2005 World Single Distance Championships, and was number 10 in the 500-m of the 2006 Winter Olympics. As of December 2006, he has won the 500-m three times and the 1000-m once in the Speed Skating World Cup.

Koskela was one of the two dominating skaters at the 2007 World Sprint Championship in Vikingskipet, Hamar. He won both 500-metres, and set a rink record with 34.80, and was leading the proceedings up to the last distance, where he lost the world championship title to Lee Kyu-Hyuk. Skating in the very last 1000-m pair, Koskela needed 1:09.03 to equal Lee, which by coincidence was the exact time Koskela achieved on the first day of the championships. Koskela was 0.14 seconds too late to become world champion, however.

Pekka Koskela represents a new generation of top international class Finnish speedskating sprinters, which started with achievements of Janne Hänninen. These skaters include Mika Poutala, Risto Rosendahl, Vesa Rosendahl, and Pekka's brother Pasi Koskela. Koskela has been training with his local Seinejöki coach Aino Klemetsö since boyhood.

Near the end of the 2006–2007 season, Koskela lost his Finnish 500-m twice-achieved 34.80 record to Mika Poutala, who skated 34.72 to Koskela's 34.86 in the World Cup Finale in Calgary 2–4 March. The following weekend, however, at the World Singe Distances Championships in Salt Lake City, Koskela took the record back, skating 34.63 to Poutala's 34.65. Koskela was ranked #8 in the two times 500-m event, Poutala #10. At the same event, Koskela improved his other Finnish record on the 1000-m, and was ranked #6 with 1:08.04.