Sara Mustonen

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Sara Kristiina Mustonen (23 December 1962, Rovaniemi, Finland – 12 September 1979, Hintertux, Austria) was a Finnish alpine skier. She is the youngest skier ever to win the Finnish alpine ski championship with her gold medal in women’s slalom in 1977 when she was only 14 years old.[1][2]

Sara Mustonen started her career as early as in April 1968 at the age of five, landing second in the Lapland championships – in a category for girls under 10 years of age. In her next race a week later she finished first, the position she was to hold in her age category until her untimely death in September 1979. Between 1975 and 1979 Mustonen reached as many as 25 medals in Finnish alpine ski championships, 10 of which in women’s category. She won women’s slalom in 1977 and 1978, giant slalom in 1978 and 1979, and downhill in 1979.[1] She represented the skiing club Ounasvaaran Hiihtoseura of her native Rovaniemi and was a member of the Finnish alpine ski team since 1976.[3]

In 1978 Mustonen was the only woman participant to represent Finland in the Alpine World Skiing Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She finished 40th in downhill and 44th in giant slalom. In slalom she dropped out in the second run.[1][2] Mustonen was voted by Finnish sports journalists as the best alpine skier in Finland both in 1977[4] and 1978.[5]

Sara Mustonen was killed in a skiing accident in Hintertux, Austria, after having fallen down into a crevasse during a joint training pass on the glacier. At the time of the accident she was under the auspices of the Finnish alpine ski team who were running a training camp at the location.[6][7]

[edit] Literature

  • Mustonen, Saara (2002). Sara. Tampere: MC-Pilot Kustannus. ISBN 952-464-019-8. 
  • Raevuori, Antero (2004). Valkoinen sirkus: alppihiihdon tarina. Helsinki: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö. ISBN 951-0-29534-5. 

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Arponen, Antti O. et al. (1986). Talviurheilun tähdet. Porvoo–Helsinki–Juva: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, 356. ISBN 951-0-13095-8. 
  2. ^ a b Järvenpää, Minna (2004). "Suomen parhaat naislaskijat". Skimbaaja 18 (7): 53–54. 
  3. ^ "Valmennusryhmät" (May 20, 1976). Hiihtäjä 4 (8): 10. 
  4. ^ "Lajien parhaat" (December 21, 1977). Suomen Urheilulehti 80 (51–52): 19. 
  5. ^ "Parhaat lajeittain" (December 13, 1978). Suomen Urheilulehti 81 (50): 8. 
  6. ^ Siukonen, Markku & Ahola, Matti (1979). Urheilun vuosikirja 1978–1979. Jyväskylä: Oy Scandia Kirjat Ab, 102. ISBN 951-9466-17-7. 
  7. ^ Raevuori, Antero & Hannus, Matti (1980). Huippu-urheilun maailma. Osa 4: talviurheilu. Porvoo–Helsinki–Juva: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, 424. ISBN 951-0-08692-4. 
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