Akilles Järvinen

Akilles Järvinen

Akilles Järvinen at the 1928 Olympics
Personal information
Born 19 September 1905
Jyväskylä, Finland
Died 7 March 1943 (aged 37)
Tampere, Finland
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 86 kg (190 lb)
Sport
Sport Athletics
Club Tampereen Pyrintö

Akilles "Aki" Eero Johannes Järvinen (19 September 1905 – 7 March 1943) was a Finnish decathlete. He competed at the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics and won two silver medals, in 1928 and 1932. He also won a European silver medal in the 400 m hurdles in 1934.[1]

Järvinen was one of Finland's most versatile athletes of his era. At the national level, his decathlon records are still competitive, and if the current decathlon points tables had been used, Järvinen would have won the gold medal at the 1928 and 1932 Olympics.[2]

Järvinen died in 1943 when his VL Pyry trainer aircraft crashed during a test flight. His brother Matti was an Olympic champion and 10-time world-record breaker in javelin throw, whereas their father Verner won one gold and two bronze Olympic medals in the discus throw.[1]

Personal records

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Akilles Järvinen. sports-reference.com
  2. Wallechinsky, David (2008). The Complete Book of the Olympics. Aurum Press Ltd. p. 263. ISBN 978-1-84513-330-6.

External links

Records
Preceded by
Finland Paavo Yrjölä
Men's Decathlon World Record Holder
20 July 1930 – 6 August 1932
Succeeded by
United States James Bausch